Cement Tulips2019

“Cement Tulips” is a Darius Yektai painting, using wet cement as paint, directly onto canvas. When painting with cement, you only have a short amount of time to work with the material, and that is when it is wet. Cement is carefully, but quickly, spread onto the canvas, in swift, singular motions. You can actually count the number of strokes, or movements of Yektais hand. Seven strokes indicate a surface in the foreground. Four strokes create a vase, where tulips are illustrated; two motions for each pair of petals, nine motions for each stem. So, even though the end result of the painting is dry as stone, we must note the importance of the way the material is used, while its wet. Darius Yektai was born in Southampton, NY in 1973. He now lives and works out of his studio in Sag Harbor, NY. EDUCATION 1998 – 1999 Studio Art, San Diego State University. 1994 – 1996 BA Art History, American University in Paris 1991 – 1994 Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA. AWARDS Guild Hall Museum’s annual members show 2010 Best Representational Work – Benjamin Genocchio 2008 Best Sculpture – Linda Jablonsky 2002 Best in Show – Amei Wallach