“Art is a line around your thoughts” Gustav Klint
This work over time evolved into abstractions that are portraits of events instead of portraits of people. The new abstractions are time-restricted, repeated, and body-aware; they speak to a cycle of trauma and belatedness. Their subject is entirely a state of mind, and is formed over time by thinking of these works in groupings of paintings and memories. In these abstractions, a delicate balance between cognition and action forms a pictorial space which coexists in tension with the painting as a record of an event. The abstractions are grounded in the artist’s movement and are generated by utilizing a process that resembles automatic drawing. Yossifor attacks, scores, and interacts with the paint to create textural lines and structures that echo drawings; these drawing features are subsequently buried in the ensuing layers of paint. The work is also done entirely in paint, but describes different material states, from stone relief and ceramics to body prints.
Liat Yossifor received her BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1996, and her MFA from the University of California, Irvine, in 2002.
She was an artist-in-residence at the Rauschenberg residency in Florida in 2020; and a guest of the Deutsche Börse Residency Program at the Frankfurter Kunstverein in Germany in 2010.
Born 1974, Israel
Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.
EDUCATION
2002
MFA, University of California, Irvine, CA
1996
BFA, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021
Letters Apart, PATRON, Chicago IL
2020
No Second Chances in the Land of a Thousand Dances, Fox Jensen, Sydney Australia
2019
Sculptural Surfaces:Pia Fries & Liat Yossifor, Curated by Ludwig Seyfarth, Anita Beckers Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany
2018
So, a forgotten fire, Paramo Gallery, Gallery Weekend, Mexico City, MX
Liat Yossifor: Recent Paintings, Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
2016
A Body of Water, PATRON, Chicago, IL
The Stand, Paramo Gallery, Guadalajara, Mexico
Small Works, Ameringer McEnery Yohe, New York, NY
Double Life, Anita Beckers Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany
2015
Pre-Verbal Painting, The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
Pitzer College Art Galleries, Pitzer College, Claremont, CA
Eight Movements, Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe Gallery, New York, NY
Expanding on an expansive subject, The Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, CA
2013
Hidden, Galerie Anita Beckers, Frankfurt, Germany
2012
Thought Patterns, Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe Gallery, New York, NY
2011
Performers from a Future Past, Angles Gallery, Culver City, CA
2010
Falling into Ends, Anita Beckers Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany
2007
The Dawning of an Aspect, project, Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, CA
Project Series 32, Liat Yossifor: The Tender Among Us, Pomona College Museum, Claremont, CA
2006
The Black Paintings, project, Noga Gallery of Contemporary of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel
2005
New Paintings, Anna Helwing Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020
If You Can Dream It, You Can Build It,Galerie Anita Beckers, Frankfurt, Germany
El Nopal: Selections, GROSS ART at SPACE 1028, Los Angeles, CA
A Time of Monsters, Curated by César García-Alvarez, Fort Gansevoort Gallery, New York, NY
2019
100 Years and Counting, Minnesota Museum of Art, Saint Paul, MN
B.A.T. State III: Women Artists in Conversation with El Nopal Press, The University Art Museum at California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
WET WET WET, Fox Jensen McCrory, Auckland, New Zealand
2018
100 YEARS AND COUNTING, Minnesota Museum of American Art, St Paul, MN
One Moment in Time – Part III, Galerie Anita Beckers, Frankfurt, Germany
New Suns, Paramo Gallery, Guadalajara, Mexico
Modulaciones, Pintura 1898-2016, Museo de Arte de Zapopan, Jal., and Museo de Arte de Sinaloa in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Prima Materia, LACASAPARK, Gardiner, NY
Manifesto, Pitzer College Art Galleries, Claremont, CA
Belief in Giants, Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY
2017
Why Art Matters, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
Summer Show, Paramo Gallery, Guadalajara, Mexico
Modulaciones, Museo de Art de Sinaloa in Cucliacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
2016
Grafforists, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
2015
Theory of Forms, PATRON, Chicago, IL
New Works, The Margulies Collection, Miami, FL
Angels With Dirty Faces, Galerie Ernst Hilger, Vienna, Austria
Black and White, Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe Gallery, New York, NY
ArtWatch 2014: Young Careers – SB to Greater LA, Westmont Ridely-Tree Museum of Art Santa Barbara, CA
2014
Transitions, Anita Beckers Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany
2013
Stolen Gestures, Kunsthaus Nuremberg, Nuremberg, Germany
Looking Back at Tomorrow: the First Five Years of Royale Projects, Royale Projects: Contemporary Art, Palm Desert CA
2012
Fall Collection, Aurobora Press, San Francisco, CA
80 Days, Torrance Museum, Torrance, CA
Prince at the Forum, Beacon Arts Building, Inglewood, CA
I’d be safe and warm, (two-person show), Royale Projects: Contemporary Art, Indian Wells, CA
2011
Iva Gueorguieva and Liat Yossifor, Angles Gallery, LA, CA
Summer Group Show, Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe Gallery, New York, NY
La Cosa Nostra, Rheeway Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
About Paint, Carl Berg Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2010
A Reflected Gaze, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
2009
To Here Knows When (two-person), University of La Verne, La Verne, CA
Lovable like Orphan Kitties and Bastard Children, curated by Joshua Aster and
Kristin Calabrese, The Green Gallery East, Milwaukee, WI
Mighty Daggers Do Small Painting Throw, Angles Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Project/Protect, curated by Manon Slome and Anita Beckers, Pulse, NY
2008
The War Is Over, with Aaron Sandnes, Seeline Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
A Deadly Serious Show, Sister Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2007
It figures, Torrance Fine Arts Museum, Torrance, CA
2006
Subject, Lyman Allyn Museum, New London, CT
From America, Museum of Modern Fine Arts, Minsk, Belarus
2005
The Collection of Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie, University of California UC Davis Gallery, CA
2003
The Real Me, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA
2002
The End, Deep River Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Better Look Twice, Pasadena City College Art Gallery, Pasadena, CA
2002
Portraits of Yfat (two-person), Angels Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2001
The Third Wight Biennial, New Wight Gallery, UCLA, CA
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2021
John Yau, The Tension in Liat Yossifor’s Paintings, Hyperallergic.
Susan Power, Communicating Vessels, catalog essay.
Liliana Rodriguez, Studio Visit with Liat Yossifor, medium.com.
2020
Susan Power, Contemplating Disembodiment In the Work of Liat Yossifor, The Nomadic Journal
Von Christoph Schutte, Frabenfrohauf Wolke sieben,Frankfurter Allgemeine Zuitung
2019
Von Christoph Schutte,Frankfurter Galerien, Gluhen, Leuchten, Strahlen,Frankfurter Allgemeine
ArtnetNews Pick, Must-See Art Guide: Frankfurt, Pia Fries and Liat Yossifor: Sculptural Surfaces, September 4, 2019
2018
Chris Michno, Embodiment and Abstraction, catalog essay, Miles McEnery Gallery
The Art Section, Alla Prima, Painters in Dialogue.
Praxis Interview, by Brainard Carey.
2016
Movements: Liat Yossifor DoppelHouse Press.
Cesar Garcia, Lo Mejor de 2016 por Artes Visuals, Código, December issue
Brit Barton, Sifting Through the Waves of Time, Newcity Art, Nov 25
Andrew M. Goldstein, The 27 Best Paintings of Nada Miami Beach 2016, Artspace, Dec 2
Glenn Hartcourt, Liat Yossifor: Time turning Paint. Nichols Gallery, Broad Center, Pitzer, College Art Galleries, Claremont, CA. catalog.
Ciara Ennis, The Politics of Painting, interview. catalog.
Karen Lang, Stella Rollig, Ed Schad, Christopher Michno, Movements: Liat Yossifor, DoppelHouse Press. book.
Christoph Schütte, Dance in Gray Mass, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, May 18.
Max Presneill, Emergent Presence, Fabrik Magazine, Mayo 2016, p. 83, 84, 2016.
2015
18 Artists to Watch, Modern Painters, December, p.88.
Rick Vagen, Liat Yossifor: Pre-Verbal Painting, The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, The Visual Art Quarterly of St. Louis review, p. 01
Christopher Michno, Matter of Structure, Liat Yossifor, Artillery, March -April issue, p. 51
Liat Yossifor, essay, Gesture, Time, Scribble, Structure – or My Argument with a Picture, Artist Practice, curated by Clay dean, Edited by Tuni Chatterji and Clay Dean, paperback
2014
Josef Woodard, Visions from the expanded Region, Santa Barbara News-Press Scene Magazine. Nov 13. p. 43
Judy Larson, catalog essay, ArtWatch 2014: Young Careers – SB to Greater LA, Westmont Ridely-Tree Museum of Art, Santa Barbra, CA
Christoph Schütte, Exhibition at Galerie Anita Beckers, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, January 23 Liliana Rodriguez, Navigating space and History in Paint, The Nomadic Journal, January 9
2013
Ludwig Seyfarth, Stolen Gestures, Kunsthaus Nuremberg, Nuremberg, Germany, catalog essay and Illustration.
Ludwig Seyfarth, Hidden, exhibition essay, Galerie Anita Beckers, Frankfurt, Germany
2012
Frank, Pricilla. Liat Yossifor’s Thought Patterns Trace the Image Of Thinking And A Moment Undone. The Huffington Post, November 9
Schad, Ed. Liat Yossifor: Interview, Painters’ Table, November
2011
Pagel David, Liat Yossifor at Angles Gallery, LA Times, March 10
Pomonis Mary Anna, Jet Set Satruday: Liat Yossifor at Angles Gallery, Artlurker, March Steven Bankhead, catalog, Prince at the Forum, Beacon Arts Building, Illustration. Exhibition Spotlight, Liat Yossifor’s Performers from a Future Past,
Huffington Post Arts, March 7
2010
Christoph Schütte, Construction and Truth, Works by Liat Yossifor and Martina Wolf in the Galerie Anita Beckers, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, June 3
Brooks, Kimberly, Painting Evolution: Interview with Artist Liat Yossifor, Arts Section, Huffington Post, July A Reflected Gaze, Torrance Art Museum catalog. Illustration.
2009
Karen Lang, Liat Yossifor: Below the Eye, X-tra Contemporary Art Quarterly, May Issue, P. 56 – 59.
2008
New American Paintings, Juried by LACMA curator Rita Gonzalez, No. 79, December Issue, p. 168 -171 LICC 01, Astrerisk Press, 2008, p. 32, 33 (catalog images)
Leila Kahstoo, The War Is Over: Liat Yossifor and Aaron Sandnes, Artweek, July August Issue, p. 17, 1
2007
Patterson, Carrie, Training Ground, NY Arts Magazine, May-June Issue
Dambrot, Shana Nys, Liat Yossifor, Ten by Ten, the portfolio exhibition from LAXART and Uber.com, Ten upcoming artists, March
Newhouse, Kristina, Agonism, catalog essay, Liat Yossifor: The Tender Among Us, Pomona College Museum of Art, Claremont, CA, January
Roni Feldman, Liat Yossifor at the Pomona College Museum of Art, The Annual Journal at CGU
2006
Rosenbaum, Hemda, Liat Yossifor: The Black Paintings at Noga Gallery, Interview, Achbar Ha’Ir, Tel Aviv, April
2005
Shaked, Nizan, The Secret and the Surface, exhibition essay, Anna Helwing, Los Angeles, April
2001
Shaked, Nizan, The Sum of The Parts Is…, catalog essay, The Third Wight Biennial, University of California, Los Angeles
RESIDENCIES
2020
Artist in Residence, Residency #43, Rauschenberg Residency, Captiva, FL
2019
Artist Residency, Fundación Casa Wabi, Oaxaca, MX
2015
Aurobora Press, Ketchum, Idaho
2012
The Rema Hort Foundation Nominee, New York, NY
2011
Aurobora Press, San Francisco, CA
2010
Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt, GER (as guest of the Deutsche Börse Residency Program)
2009
London International Competition Finalist
2008
The Ucross Foundation, Clearmont, WY
2000-2002
University of California, Irvine, Departmental Fellowship
SELECTED LECTURES / PANELS
2020
Artist Lecture, Rauschenberg resident, Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers
2018
The Torrance Art Museum Forum, Tomory Dodge and Liat Yossifor, Torrance, CA
2015
The Politics of Painting, panel discussion, Pitzer College, Claremont, CA
A conversation with David Pagel, Iva Gueorguieva, and Liat Yossifor, Pitzer College, Claremont, CA
2013
Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Claremont Graduate University, CA
Cal State Fullerton, Artist Talk, Fullerton, CA
Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA
2012
Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Alberta School of Art and Design, Calgary, Canada
2010
Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Claremont Graduate University, CA
Panelist at the Claremont Graduate School of Art, moderated by David Pagel, Claremont, CA
Resident Artist Lecture, Franfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt, Germany
2009
Panelist at Honor Fraser Gallery, moderated by Ed Schad, Los Angeles, CA
2007
Artist Lecture for exhibition “The Tender Among Us” at Pomona College Museum of Art, Claremont, CA
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS:
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, Ca
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Creative Artist Agency, Los Angeles, CA (CAA)
The Marguiles Collection, Miami, FL
Isabel and Agustin Coppel Collection, Mexico City, MX
The Minnesota Museum of American Art, Saint Paul, MN
