kamran yousefzade

Kamran Youssefzadeh, known as Y.Z. Kami, is among the later generation of Iranian modernist painters, born in 1956. His paintings cannot be confined to any single artistic style. In his works, Kami pursues both abstract and representational approaches in parallel. The bridge between these two seemingly distinct tendencies lies in the pervasive presence of spiritual and mystical concepts, perhaps rooted in the artist’s deep engagement with philosophy. However, Kami’s connection to painting predates his study of philosophy and reaches back to his childhood. His mother was a painter and introduced him to the world of art early on. After finishing high school in 1974, Kami moved to the United States to study philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley. A year later, he went to France and continued his studies at the Sorbonne University in Paris. During that time, he also studied filmmaking at the Paris Conservatory of Cinema. Upon returning to the United States, he directed several film projects, including a documentary about the Iranian philosopher Ahmad Fardid. Around this period, he became professionally involved in painting, eventually settling in New York City, where he has since dedicated himself entirely to art. In 2007, Kami participated in the 52nd Venice Biennale with his painting “In Jerusalem.” A decade later, in 2017, his exhibition at Gagosian Gallery, 6th Avenue, New York, was met with wide critical acclaim from major contemporary art critics. His paintings were also exhibited in 2018 at Ab-Anbar Gallery in Tehran. Spiritual and mystical ideas hold a central place in Kami’s artistic practice. His abstract works are clearly inspired by Persian architecture, particularly by structural and geometric elements such as domes and shamsa (sunburst motifs).