Manoucher Yektai puts Middle Eastern Abstract Expressionism on Display

Yektai in his studio. Courtesy of the artist.

There is nothing more important in the here and now than giving credit where credit is due. When many of us think of art, we put specific pioneers on a pedestal for creating or curating iconic pieces that have outlined our cultural aesthetics. However, Manoucher Yektai is an Iranian Abstract Expressionist who’s artistry has impacted the world, yet whose work has been somehow muted by the West. With Sotheby’s London’s new public exhibition, a light will now shine on Yektai and his family, asserting that his influential career is now global.

PORTRAIT OF DARIUS YEKTAI. Signed and dated Yektai ’96. Oil on canvas. 54 x 48 in. Courtesy of the artist and gallery.

From April 26 to to April 30th, 20 never-before-seen pieces by Yektai will be on display in the UK for the first time since 1970. With so much dedication to culture and a long history of artistic influences, this exhibition will allow fresh minds to become familiar with mid-century Middle Eastern Art and truly change the narrative of what is expected of abstract expressionism. Yektai is an embodiment of international culture and a modern iconoclast—you can’t miss out on this overdue exhibition. 

STILL LIFE IN LANDSCAPE. Signed and dated Yektai ’83. Oil on canvas. 48 x 50 in. Courtesy of the artist and gallery.