MANOUCHER YEKTAI

Invigorating bursts of color, sharp slashes, and wedges of impasto register these expressive gestures. Recognized as a founding member of the New York School of Abstract Expressionism, Yektai’s practice was shaped by interactions with contemporaries such as de Kooning, Pollock, Kline and Rothko. Yet his celebration of quotidian beauty is elevated by a vivid blending of cultures. His work was equally informed by his studies in Paris—where he was influenced by the textures of Cezanne, Vuillard, and Bonnard—and by his own Persian origins. Yektai studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and at the Atelier of André Lhote in Paris, as well as at the Art Students League of New York with Robert Hale.

His work can be found at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C.; Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit; Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana; Guild Hall, East Hampton; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco.

Courtesy Karma