ITZCHAK TARKAY

Itzchak Tarkay was born in 1935 in Subotica on the Yugoslav Hungarian border. At the age of nine, Itzchak and his family were sent to the Mathausen Concentration Camp, where they remained for about one year until the Allied liberation forces freed them. After the war, he returned home and developed an interest in art. While still at school in Subotica, he won a prize for excellence in painting.

In 1949 the Tarkay family emigrated to Israel and were sent to a transit camp for new arrivals at Beer Ya'akov. Their next two years were spent living in a Kibbutz.

In 1951 Itzchak received a scholarship to the Bezalel Art Academy in Jerusalem, where he studied for a year before having to leave due to difficult financial circumstances at home. In order to continue his scholarship, he was allowed to study under the artist Schwartzman until his mobilization to the Israeli army. After returning to the familiar environment of Tel Aviv, Tarkay enrolled in the Avni Institute of Art, from which he graduated in 1956. During this time, Tarkay learned much from many famous artists such as Mokady, Janko, Schtreichman and Sematsky.

He has achieved recognition as a leading representative of a new generation of figurative artists. The inspiration for his work clearly lies with French Impressionism, from his use of color being heavily influenced by the works of Matisse and his drawing style from Toulouse-Lautrec.

Tarkay's rich use of color and free-flowing form, combined with his technique of layering these colors by silk screen create a look that is uniquely and unmistakenly Tarkay.

After exhibiting both in Israel and abroad, he received recognition at the International Expo in New York in 1986 and 1987 for his works in several forms of media, including oil, acrylic and watercolor. His work has taken a prominent place in both public and private collections throughout the world.