Y.Z. Kami

When you go through the process of looking at a face and you meditate on it with pigments and brushes in hand, it is like living with the face. In a way, it becomes part of you.
—Y.Z. Kami

Gagosian New York is pleased to present an exhibition of recent paintings by Y.Z. Kami.

Kami’s portraits of introspective subjects, often with eyes closed as though in meditation, project a broad and inviting spiritual presence. With his own photographs of family, friends and strangers as source material, he uses faces as vessels to convey an almost sacred and universal atmosphere of reflection. The matte surfaces of the canvases resemble fresco, while the closely cropped, centered compositions evoke El Fayûm portraits of ancient Egypt. Beginning with a primary paint layer in warm terra cotta, Kami renders these figures in a uniform sfumato that evokes a light tremor, imparting to the paintings a striking effect of movement. This sense of vitality may stem from our own associations with photographed subjects in motion, but it transcends the veracity of photographs. Kami does not aim to create photorealistic portrayals; rather, he seeks to make his subjects uncannily present in spirit.

Paintings depicting hands joined in prayer directly indicate Kami’s concerns, as a common action spanning across faiths. Similarly, a universal sense of spirituality is conveyed by White Dome paintings, characterized by a central white light that pours over countless rows of tiny white rectangles, hand-painted or stamped onto the canvases. New large-scale portraits zoom in on Kami’s chosen faces. A further softening of features is achieved in large areas of nebulous skin textures and hair tones. Each painting possesses a distinct sense of fluidity—between the various faiths and texts that constitute Kami’s philosophical influences; between representation and abstraction; and, most unexpectedly, between painted portrayals and energies present.