Know Hope

The Serenity of Addam Yekutieli

When I visited Addam Yekutieli’s studio in

Tel Aviv, he graciously welcomed me at the door, walking gingerly, as he recovered from an urgent hip replacement procedure that followed a knee replacement procedure. His shattered and scarred body was reminiscent of his characters, similarly supported by crutches in a recurring motif he has employed for years. Whether drawing his recognizable, fragile figures or being a voice for the marginalized, he immortalizes feelings through different mediums, opening a window of understanding. Additionally motivated by living in one of the most complex and troubled parts of the world, he continues to explore the ways his message can transcend boundaries, evolving and maturing rapidly and beautifully.

Sasha Bogojev: Can you remember the first piece you created that you felt was art?

Addam Yekutieli: Hmm, not really. Actually, I'm now sitting right next to a childhood drawing from when I was three, but I'm pretty sure it's not the first “art piece” I ever made. Both my parents are artists, and back then, they had a collaborative studio practice, so I grew up around it, always playing with materials and being exposed to art. My parents would let me and my sister, who is also an artist, have little exhibitions in the living room.

Even though I didn't think anything of it back then, maybe that was the beginning of some sort of mentality. I started drawing more and more, so when that connected with a process of finding myself through skateboarding and punk rock, that was the second wave, because I was finally exposed to things that felt relevant and urgent to me.

You grew up in the US and moved to Israel at some point, right?