Untitled 1987

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to this “Untitled” oil painting by Manoucher Yektai from 1987. Editor: My immediate impression is a feeling of quiet domesticity, even solitude. The limited color palette adds to this stillness, while the impasto creates a subtle tactile energy, doesn't it? Curator: Indeed. It is useful to consider Yektai’s life as an Iranian-American artist straddling cultures and traditions. His immigration to the US marked a critical turning point that significantly changed his cultural, social, and political existence, leading to paintings such as this one, that display an element of estrangement. The flower sitting on the chair in this setting feels uprooted. Editor: I am fascinated by the geometric arrangement: the solid, boxy chair creating a strong, stable form, juxtaposed with the organic, almost overflowing plant on top. This interplay emphasizes volume through distinct, separate strokes that are layered, built-up to create these recognizable shapes. Curator: Consider also the period in which it was made. This was a time when discussions about cultural identity and artistic expression were gaining prominence. Yektai’s painting speaks to a longing for a sense of home. His paintings use abstracted representation to question notions of belonging, diaspora, and identity, highlighting themes of displacement through subtle artistic decisions. Editor: Looking closer at the paint application, the way Yektai builds layers to create light is rather masterful. I appreciate that the window pane becomes one of the main subjects as it subtly bounces the light back and calls to be observed by the viewer as a painting-within-a-painting that emphasizes surface, texture, and chromatic vibrancy, evoking contemplation of depth. Curator: Precisely. I read it also as a reflection of cultural memory and the search for identity through the material act of painting. By exploring themes of place and memory, Yektai offers viewers an invitation to reflect on the broader narratives that shape individual and collective identity. Editor: Thank you for sharing that context, which gives so much more weight to what seems, on the surface, a still and tranquil scene. Curator: And thank you for helping illuminate the formalism at play; in doing so, we help provide a more complete appreciation of this artist’s important contribution.