Y. Z. Kami Self-Portrait as a Child 1989 oil, graphite on panel, in 4 parts each 80 x 30 in. (203.2 x 76.2 cm) overall 80 x 120 in. (203.2 x 304.8 cm) Signed and dated "KAMI 1989" on the reverse of the second panel.
Provenance Leila-Taghinia-Milani, Inc., New York Private Collection Christie's, New York, First Open, September 21, 2011, lot 322 Acquired at the above sale by the present owner Catalogue Essay Deeply contemplative while disquietingly poignant, the present lot embodies the spiritual immediacy and private truths unearthed in Y.Z. Kami’s revered portraiture. Born in 1956 to a Shia family in Iran, the artist’s thematic underpinnings of spirituality and religion are made accessible in the repurposed personal photographs from his childhood in Tehran. In Self-Portrait as a Child, Kami’s younger self shares a piercing gaze with us, as he is flanked by a window into a highly impersonal genre scene which tempers any familial warmth. The profound dichotomy of these two elements, depicted across four panels, indicate Kami’s acute understanding of the shortcomings inherent to portraiture—yet its towering scale unequivocally implores us to reflect upon the unseen dimensions of our lives. Importantly, the sister painting, only marginally larger than the present lot, resides in the permanent collection of the Guggenheim. Read More
Y. Z. Kami Self-Portrait as a Child 1989 oil, graphite on panel, in 4 parts each 80 x 30 in. (203.2 x 76.2 cm) overall 80 x 120 in. (203.2 x 304.8 cm) Signed and dated "KAMI 1989" on the reverse of the second panel.
Provenance Leila-Taghinia-Milani, Inc., New York Private Collection Christie's, New York, First Open, September 21, 2011, lot 322 Acquired at the above sale by the present owner Catalogue Essay Deeply contemplative while disquietingly poignant, the present lot embodies the spiritual immediacy and private truths unearthed in Y.Z. Kami’s revered portraiture. Born in 1956 to a Shia family in Iran, the artist’s thematic underpinnings of spirituality and religion are made accessible in the repurposed personal photographs from his childhood in Tehran. In Self-Portrait as a Child, Kami’s younger self shares a piercing gaze with us, as he is flanked by a window into a highly impersonal genre scene which tempers any familial warmth. The profound dichotomy of these two elements, depicted across four panels, indicate Kami’s acute understanding of the shortcomings inherent to portraiture—yet its towering scale unequivocally implores us to reflect upon the unseen dimensions of our lives. Importantly, the sister painting, only marginally larger than the present lot, resides in the permanent collection of the Guggenheim. Read More
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
Try LotSearch and its premium features for 7 days - without any costs!
Be notified automatically about new items in upcoming auctions.
Create an alert
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
