Yehouda Chaki
Yehouda Leon Chaki is a Greek-born Canadian artist based in Montreal, Quebec. Best known for his colourful palette and expressionistic landscapes, he began exhibiting in 1959 and today his work can be found in over 50 public and corporate collections and museums around the world such as Concordia University, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.,[1] Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal,[2] Jerusalem City Hall, and the Museo de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro.[3]
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Biography
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Yehouda Chaki was born in Athens, Greece on December 11, 1938. He is the son of Sephardic Jewish parents and his early childhood was marked by the Holocaust. Chaki and his parents spent five years secretly living in the home of a Christian family in Athens before they could safely relocate to Israel with his younger brother.
This event inspired many of his works including his 1968 painting which was hung at Concordia University[4] titled "Express Train from Salonika to Auschwitz"[5] depicting the transport of Jews to the concentration camps during the Holocaust [6] and the 1999 Mi Makir installation[7] described in the book "Mi Makir: A Search for the Missing". This exhibit featured a wall filled with dark unframed portraits of Holocaust victims each bearing a number in the top left corner, and a large pile of books on the floor.
Chaki lived in Holon, near Tel Aviv, from 1945 to 1960. Throughout his adolescence, he studied painting, drawing and printmaking under Joseph Schwartzman and in his teens entered the Avni Institute of Art to study with Avigdor Stematsky, Moshe Mokady and Yehezchel Streichman. Following compulsory army service, he moved to Paris to complete his education at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts while working for artist Yaacov Agam.
In Paris, Chaki met Montrealer Grace Aronoff who was a student at the Sorbonne. The couple married in Montreal, Canada in 1963. They have two children, Lisa, married to Alan Post and Adam Chaki, married to Lisa Noto.
Career
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Chaki exhibits regularly while continuing to work out of his studio in Montreal. In 1967, Chaki became head of Painting and Drawing in the Department of Fine Arts[8] at the Saidye Bronfman Centre of Montreal until 1989.
Yehouda Chaki is currently represented by six major galleries including Galerie de Bellefeuille in Montreal, Odon Wagner Gallery in Toronto, Gallery Jones in Vancouver, Galerie St Laurent & Hill in Ottawa, Newzones in Calgary, and Melissa Morgan Fine Art in Palm Desert. Chaki has also worked on commissions by various patrons of the arts. In 1987 the Congregation Shaar Hashomayim commissioned Chaki to design a large tapestry in honour of the synagogue's 145th anniversary,[9] in 1988 he painted "The Four Seasons" that is hanging at Place Ville-Marie[10] for the Royal Bank of Canada, in 2000 Chaki designed the stained glass windows[11] for the Adath Israel Congregation of Montreal, and in 2001 Salvatore Guerrera commissioned another work in stained glass[12] for Concordia University. Chaki is also known for having created the bronze statue presented to the winners of Canada's premier fiction award,[13] the Giller Prize, from 1994 to 2004.[14]
Over the years his work has been reviewed in art journals such as ARTnews and Vie des Arts[15] and supported by eminent art critics such as John Russell Harper in "Chaki: Recent Paintings" published by Galerie Dresdnere in 1982.[16] Chaki is also the subject of the book "Chaki: A Language of Passion,"[17] published by Buschlen Mowatt Fine Arts in 1994 with essays by Barrie Mowatt, Leo Rosshandler and Herbert Aronoff. In 2017, Yehouda Chaki was featured on Federation CJA's website celebrating the Jews who played a major role in Quebec history, culture, and society.
Collections
Abitibi-Price
Adath Israel Congregation, Montreal (Stained Glass)
Aird & Berlis, Toronto
Aldo Group, Montréal
Avmor, Montreal
Astral Media, Montreal
Beaverbrook Art Gallery, New Brunswick
Beit Yad leBanim Museum, Holon
Ben-Gurion University, Beersheba (mural)
Bentall 5, Vancouver
Beth Tikvah, Montreal
Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
Calgary Petroleum Club, Calgary
Campbell, Godfrey & Lewtas, Toronto
Canadian Consulate, New York
Canadian Embassy, Argentina
CIL Collection, Montreal
Claridge, Montreal
Coca-Cola Limited, Montreal
Concordia University, Montreal
Concordia University – JMSB Tunnel Project (Stained Glass)
Congregation Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem, Montreal (Tapestry)
Cormark Securities Inc.
Desjardins Ducharme, Montreal
Digital Equipment, Toronto
Eretz Israel Museum, Israel
Fogler, Rubinoff, Toronto
Fort Lauderdale Museum, Florida
Gaz Métropolitain, Montréal
General Electric, Toronto
Heather James Fine Art, Jackson WY
Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto
Hotel Intercontinental, Toronto
Husky Oil, Calgary
Hydro Québec, Montreal
Imperial Oil Limited, Toronto
Jerusalem City Hall, Israel
Jewish General Hospital, Montreal
La Corporation du Groupe La Laurentienne, Montréal
Lavalin Inc, Montreal
Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Montreal
Loewen, Ondaatje. McCutcheon, Toronto
Loto-Québec Collection, Montreal
Melissa Morgan Fine Art, Palm Desert CA
Montefiore Club, Montreal
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Mouvement Desjardins, Québec
Murray Axmith, Toronto
Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal
Musée d'Art Juif, Paris
Musée de Toulon, France
Musée de foyer d'Israël, Belgium
Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent
Museo de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro
National Assembly, Québec City
Olympia and York
Petrocan, Calgary
Philadelphia Museum
Plutonic Power Corporation
Reitman Collection, Montreal
Rose Museum, Boston
Royal Bank of Canada, Montreal
Royal Bank of Canada, Place Ville-Marie, Montreal (commission)
Security Pacific Bank, Toronto
Senvest Capital Inc., Montreal
Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue, Montreal (Tapestry)
Shell Resources, Calgary
SOQUIP, Montreal
SOQUIP, Quebec
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Ontario
Tory, Tory & Bennington, Toronto
Université de Montréal, Montreal
University of New Brunswick Museum, Fredericton, New Brunswick
West-Sun Capital Collection, Montreal
Exhibitions
Chaki has had over 100 solo exhibitions since 1962.
2016 | – Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, Quebec |
– Galerie St. Laurent + Hill, Ottawa, Ontario | |
2015 | – Odon Wagner Gallery, Toronto |
– Gallery Jones, Vancouver, British Columbia | |
2014 | – Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, Quebec |
– Galerie St. Laurent + Hill, Ottawa, Ontario | |
2012 | – Gallery DeNovo, Sun Valley, Idaho |
– Gallery Jones, Vancouver, British Columbia | |
– Newzones Gallery, Calgary, Alberta | |
– Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, Quebec | |
2011 | - Odon Wagner Gallery, Toronto |
- Galerie St. Laurent + Hill, Ottawa | |
2010 | - Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia |
- Four Seasons: JMSB Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec | |
- Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, Quebec | |
2009 | - Gallery De Novo, Sun Valley, Idaho |
- Odon Wagner Gallery, Toronto, Ontario | |
2008 | - Buschlen Mowatt Gallery Vancouver, British Columbia |
2007 | - Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, Quebec |
- Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, Ottawa, Ontario | |
2006 | - Buschlen Mowatt Gallery Vancouver, British Columbia |
- Odon Wagner Gallery, Toronto, Ontario | |
2005 | - McIntosh Gallery London, Ontario |
- Buschlen Mowatt Gallery Vancouver, British Columbia | |
-UNB Art Center Fredericton, New Brunswick | |
2004 | -Galerie deBellefeuille, Montreal, Quebec |
-Galerie St-Laurent + Hill, Ottawa, Ontario | |
2002 | -Odon Wagner Gallery, Toronto, Ontario |
2001 | -Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia |
-Hart House Gallery, Toronto, Ontario | |
2000 | -Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia |
-The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, Ontario | |
1999 | -Waddington & Gorce, Montreal, Quebec |
1998 | -Odon Wagner Gallery, Toronto, Ontario |
-Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia | |
1997 | -Virginia Christopher Gallery, Calgary, Alberta |
-Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia | |
1996 | -Odon Wagner Gallery, Toronto, Ontario |
1995 | -Waddington & Gorce, Montreal. Quebec |
-Virginia Christopher Gallery, Calgary, Alberta | |
-Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia | |
1994 | -Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario |
-Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia | |
1993 | -Odon Wagner gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona |
-Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia | |
1992 | -Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, Ontario |
-Waddington & Gorce, Montreal, Quebec | |
1991 | -Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia |
1990 | -Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario |
-Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, Ontario | |
-Galerie Madeleine Lacerte, Quebec City, Quebec | |
-Galerie Barbara Silverberg, (ceramics), Montreal, Quebec | |
1989 | -Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia |
-Galerie Daniel, Montreal, Quebec | |
1988 | -Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, Ontario |
-Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario | |
1987 | -Galerie Madeleine Lacerte, Quebec City, Quebec |
-Galerie Daniel, Montreal, Quebec | |
1986 | -Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, Ontario |
-Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario | |
1985 | -Galerie Daniel, Montreal, Quebec |
1984 | -Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario |
1983 | -Arras Gallery, New York City, New York |
-Galerie Lacerte-Guimont, Quebec City, Quebec | |
-Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, Ontario | |
1982 | -Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario |
1981 | -Galerie Don Stewart, Montreal, Quebec |
-Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario | |
-Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, Ontario | |
1979 | -Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario |
-Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, Ontario | |
1977 | -Goldmann Gallery, Haifa, Israel |
1976 | -Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario |
-Galerie Gilles Corbeil, Montreal, Quebec | |
1975 | -Arras Gallery, New York City, New York |
-Modern Art Gallery, Old Jaffa, Israel | |
1974 | -Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario |
1973 | -Waddington Galleries, Montreal, Quebec |
1972 | -Pucker/Safrai Gallery, Boston, Massachusetts |
1971 | -Waddington Galleries, Montreal, Quebec |
-Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario | |
1969 | -Modern Art Gallery, Old Jaffa, Israel |
-Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario | |
1968 | -Waddington Galleries, Montreal, Quebec |
1967 | -Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario |
1966 | -Waddington Galleries, Montreal, Quebec |
1964 | -Waddington Galleries, Montreal, Quebec |
-Pollock Gallery, Toronto, Ontario | |
1963 | -Gallery 1640, Montreal, Quebec (pen and ink drawings) |
-Montreal Gallery, Montreal, Quebec | |
-Beit Yad leBanim, Holon, Israel | |
1962 | -Musée du foyer d'Israel, Brussels, Belgium |
-Gallery 22, Oslo, Norway |
Group exhibitions
Chaki has participated in over 450 group exhibitions in galleries across North and South America, Europe and the Middle East.
2014 | - Heather James Fine Art, Jackson, WY |
- Melissa Morgan Fine Art, Palm Desert CA | |
- Gallery Jones, Vancouver, British Columbia | |
2003 | - Art 2003, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, Quebec |
2002 | -Art 2002, Galerie de Bellefeuille, Montreal, Quebec |
2000 | -Clay 2000, Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel |
1999 | -The Park: An Artist's Eye, McLure Gallery, Montreal, Quebec |
1996 | -Avmor Collection Exhibition, Musee Marc-Aurele Fortin |
-Jerusalem 3000, Jerusalem, Israel | |
1994 | -Artists in Bloom, Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia |
1992 | -Rio: 1992 Conference for the Ecology, Museo do Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
1991 | -Waddington & Gorce, Montreal, Quebec |
1989 | -From Sea to Sea, The Great Canadian Landscape, Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia |
1988 | -Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario |
-Galerie Madeleine Lacerte, Quebec City, Quebec | |
-Buschlen Mowatt Gallery,Vancouver, British Columbia | |
1987 | -Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario |
-Place des Arts, Montreal, Quebec | |
-Galerie Daniel, Montreal, Quebec | |
-Robertson Galleries, Ottawa, Ontario | |
-Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia | |
1986 | -Diane Farris Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia |
-Art Amaze, Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, Florida | |
-Galerie Daniel, Montreal, Quebec | |
1985 | -Galerie Daniel, Montreal, Quebec |
-Arras Gallery, New York City, New York | |
-Diane Farris Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia | |
-Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia | |
1981 | -Nickel Arts Museum, Calgary, Alberta |
-Arras Gallery, New York City, New York | |
1980 | -Elca London Gallery, Montreal, Quebec |
-Galerie Don Stewart, Montreal, Quebec | |
-Quebec Government House, Quebec City, Quebec | |
-Chaleur History Museum,New Brunswick | |
-Art Gallery of Windsor,Windsor, Ontario | |
1979 | -The Station Gallery, Whitby Arts Inc., Whitby, Ontario |
-Brampton Public library & Art Gallery, Brampton, Ontario | |
-Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, Ontario | |
-Sarnia Public Library & Gallery, Sarnia, Ontario | |
-Service de Loisirs et de la Culture, Quebec City, Quebec | |
-Bureau Seigneurial de l’Ile des Moulins, Quebec | |
-The Belleville Public Library, Belleville, Ontario | |
1977 | -CIL Collection, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Quebec |
-York University, Downsview, Ontario | |
-Timmins Museum, Timmins, Ontario | |
-Erindale College, Toronto, Ontario | |
-The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Quebec | |
-Musee de la Mer Havre-Aubert, Quebec | |
-Mouvement Socio-culturel de la Tuque, Quebec | |
-Musee du Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec | |
1977 | -The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia |
-Consolidate-Bathurst Limited, Bathurst, New Brunswick | |
1976 | -Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Re-Opening Exhibition, Montreal, Quebec |
-Galerie Gilles Corbeil, Montreal, Quebec | |
-National Exhibitions Center, Castlegar, British Columbia | |
-Sir Sanford Fleming College, Peterborough, Ontario | |
-La Societe d’Etudes et de Conferences, Ottawa, Ontario | |
-Memorial University Art Gallery, St. John’s, Newfoundland | |
1974 | -Les Amis de l’Art, Trois Pistoles, Quebec |
-Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario | |
-Arras Gallery, New York City, New York | |
1974 | -Arras Gallery, New York City, New York |
-CEGEP de Rouyn, Noranda, Quebec | |
1972 | -59th Annual meeting of CPPA, Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Quebec |
-Pembroke Industries Association, Pembroke, Ontario | |
-National Wallpaper & Paints Limited, Sherbrooke, Quebec | |
-L’atelier des Arts du Grand-Portage, Riviere du Loup, Quebec | |
-Ecole Polyvalente de Matane, Quebec | |
-Le Musee Regional de Rimouski, Quebec | |
-Centre Social Municipal de la Tuque, Quebec | |
-La Societe des Arts de Chicoutimi, Quebec | |
-Le Syndicat de Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec | |
-Le Conseil de Ville du Cap de la Madeleine, Quebec | |
-Les Secteurs Socio-culturels du -Service de loisirs ed du CEGEP de -Victoriaville, Quebec | |
-Le Centre Culturel de -Drummondville, Quebec | |
1971 | -La Galerie du Centre Culturel de Joliette, Quebec |
-County of Peel Museum & Art Gallery, Brampton, Ontario | |
-Art Gallery Foundation of St. Thomas & Elgin, St. Thomas, Ontario | |
-Niagra College of Applied Arts and Technology, Welland, Ontario | |
-Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology, Oakville, Ontario | |
-The Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba | |
-Pucker/Safrai Gallery,Boston, Massachusetts | |
1971 | -Canadian Exhibition, Man and His World, Montreal, Quebec |
-Pucker/Safrai Gallery,Boston, Massachusetts | |
-Le Centre Culturel de Beloeil, Quebec | |
-Sir Sanford Fleming College, Peterborough, Ontario | |
1968 | -Public Library,Fort Frances, Ontario |
-Richelieu Centennial, Richelieu, Quebec | |
-Restigouche Arts Society,Campbellton, New Brunswick | |
-Le Cercle Artistique, Edmundston, New Brunswick | |
1967 | -City Hall,Toronto, Ontario |
1966 | -Galerie Dresdnere, Toronto, Ontario |
1965 | -Un festival de peintures au Quebec, Montreal, Quebec |
-Gaby Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Quebec | |
1963 | -La foret, Montreal Gallery, Montreal, Quebec |
1962 | -Jewish Artists- Prix Neumann, Musee d'art Juif, Paris, France |
-Palais de Compiegne, France | |
1961 | -Travelling Exhibition of Israeli Painters, France Salon d'Art Moderne, Paris, France |
1959 | -Young Israeli Painters, Tel Aviv, Israel |
-Israeli Painters, Tel Aviv, Israel |
External links
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References
- Bondil, Nathalie (2007). All for Art!: In Conversation with Collectors. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
- Bélisle, Josée (1994). La Collection Lavalin de Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montreal. Montreal: Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal. p. 234. ISBN 2761911997.
- de Andrade, Geraldo Edson (1992). Spala Editora Ltda. (ed.). Eco Art. Banco Bozano Simonsen. p. 269. ISBN 85-7048-042-3.
- CUTV (2010-06-29), Intensive documentary workshop - Yehouda Chaki, retrieved 2017-03-13
- Network, Government of Canada, Canadian Heritage, Canadian Heritage Information. GALERIE+LEONARD+&+BINA+ELLEN,+UNIVERSITE+CONCORDIA+//+LEONARD+&+BINA+ELLEN+ART+GALLERY,+CONCORDIA+UN+AND+IMAGE=X+')&upp=0&m=34 "Artefacts Canada - Humanities". www.rcip-chin.gc.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
- "The Destruction of the Jews in Greece". www.holocaustresearchproject.org. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
- Rackover, Suzanne Beth (2003). "The Holocaust art of Gershon Iskowitz, Isaac Applebaum and Yehouda Chaki : a critical approach in relation to the philosophical writings of Emmanuel Levinas, Hannah Arendt and Julia Kristeva". Concordia University Spectrum Research Repository.
- "Yehouda Chaki (Canadian) - Online art auction". www.heffel.com. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
- Shuchat, Wilfred (2000-09-15). Gate of Heaven: The Story of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Montreal, 1846-1996. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. ISBN 9780773568662.
- Chaki-a Language of Passion. Buschlen Mowatt Fine Arts. 1994. pp. 30–33.
- Weiser, Barbara (2009). "Jewish Art in Public Spaces on Canada's West Coast" (PDF). The Scribe. 29.
- "Stained Glass Artwork by Yehouda Chaki unveiled at Concordia". www.concordia.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
- "Giller Prize". www.bookawards.bizland.com. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
- "A taste of the glamorous life". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
- "Parallel World | Vie des Arts". viedesarts.com (in French). Retrieved 2017-03-13.
- Harper, John Russell; Chaki, Yehouda; Galerie Dresdnere (1982-01-01). Chaki: recent paintings. Toronto: Galerie Dresdnere.
- Walters, J. (2014-04-28). "Chaki: Imagined Landscapes". Canadian Art Junkie. Retrieved 2017-03-13.