Y.z.kami

Kami’s portraits of introspective subjects, often with eyes closed as though in meditation, project a broad and inviting spiritual presence. With his own photographs of family, friends and strangers as source material, he uses faces as vessels to convey an almost sacred and universal atmosphere of reflection. The matte surfaces of the canvases resemble fresco, while the closely cropped, centered compositions evoke El Fayûm portraits of ancient Egypt. Beginning with a primary paint layer in warm terra cotta, Kami renders these figures in a uniform sfumato that evokes a light tremor, imparting to the paintings a striking effect of movement. This sense of vitality may stem from our own associations with photographed subjects in motion, but it transcends the veracity of photographs.