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, the 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]

Yehouda Chaki
Yehouda Chaki in studio, 2016
Born
Yehouda Leon Chaki

(1938-12-11) December 11, 1938 (age 85)
Athens, Greece
DiedSeptember 4, 2023
Montreal, Canada
Known forartist
SpouseGrace Aronoff (m. 1963)

Biography edit

 
Chaki with his "Mi Makir exhibit

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.[8]

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 edit

 
2012 quadtych oil on canvas by Yehouda Chaki
 
1988 "The Four Seasons" oil on canvas by Yehouda Chaki owned by The Royal Bank of Canada

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[9] 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,[10] in 1988 he painted "The Four Seasons" that is hanging at Place Ville-Marie[11] for the Royal Bank of Canada, in 2000 Chaki designed the stained glass windows[12] for the Adath Israel Congregation of Montreal, and in 2001 Salvatore Guerrera commissioned another work in stained glass[13] for Concordia University. Chaki is also known for having created the bronze statue presented to the winners of Canada's premier fiction award,[14] the Giller Prize, from 1994 to 2004.[15]

Over the years his work has been reviewed in art journals such as ARTnews and Vie des Arts[16] and supported by eminent art critics such as J. Russell Harper in "Chaki: Recent Paintings" published by Galerie Dresdnere in 1982.[17] Chaki is also the subject of the book "Chaki: A Language of Passion,"[18] 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.

"Oasis 1001": 1974 oil on canvas, collection of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
1983 oil on canvas from the Lavalin collection of the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art
1996 tri-millennium printed poster in the Jerusalem City Hall
Chaki and crew installing the stained glass ("Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord") at Adath Israel Congregation of Montreal

Selected collections edit

Chaki's works are in many Canadian public collections such as the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts[1] and the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal[2] and abroad in museums such as the Museo de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro,[3] as well as in numerous corporate and private collections.

Exhibitions edit

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
1999 Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa
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 edit

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
Niagara 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 edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Bondil, Nathalie (2007). All for Art!: In Conversation with Collectors. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
  2. ^ a b Bélisle, Josée (1994). La Collection Lavalin de Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montreal. Montreal: Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal. p. 234. ISBN 2761911997.
  3. ^ a b de Andrade, Geraldo Edson (1992). Spala Editora Ltda. (ed.). Eco Art. Banco Bozano Simonsen. p. 269. ISBN 85-7048-042-3.
  4. ^ CUTV (29 June 2010), Intensive documentary workshop - Yehouda Chaki, retrieved 13 March 2017
  5. ^ 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 13 March 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "The Destruction of the Jews in Greece". www.holocaustresearchproject.org. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  7. ^ 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 (masters).
  8. ^ Murray, Joan; Liss, David (2001). Chaki. Vancouver: Buschlen Mowatt Galleries. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Yehouda Chaki (Canadian) - Online art auction". www.heffel.com. Retrieved 13 March 2017.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ Shuchat, Wilfred (15 September 2000). Gate of Heaven: The Story of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Montreal, 1846-1996. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. ISBN 9780773568662.
  11. ^ Chaki-a Language of Passion. Buschlen Mowatt Fine Arts. 1994. pp. 30–33.
  12. ^ Weiser, Barbara (2009). "Jewish Art in Public Spaces on Canada's West Coast" (PDF). The Scribe. 29.
  13. ^ "Stained Glass Artwork by Yehouda Chaki unveiled at Concordia". www.concordia.ca. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  14. ^ "Giller Prize". www.bookawards.bizland.com. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  15. ^ "A taste of the glamorous life". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  16. ^ "Parallel World | Vie des Arts". viedesarts.com (in French). Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  17. ^ Harper, J. Russell; Chaki, Yehouda; Galerie Dresdnere (1 January 1982). Chaki: recent paintings. Toronto: Galerie Dresdnere. OCLC 297154398.
  18. ^ Walters, J. (28 April 2014). "Chaki: Imagined Landscapes". Canadian Art Junkie. Retrieved 13 March 2017.