Y.Z. Kami's painting *Messenger (The Forrest)*, priced around $300,000, is currently on offer at Gagosian's Beverly Hills gallery. The work is part of a series the artist began in 2022 based on photographs taken during travels in India. Kami, born in Tehran in 1956 and based in the U.S. since 1984, is known for large-scale portraits in oil on linen. The painting is featured in Kami's exhibition 'The Domes' at Gagosian, which runs through August 8 and includes three Messenger paintings, one already sold. The show marks his first West Coast solo exhibition since 2016–17 at LACMA.
The article matters because it highlights a significant moment for Kami's market: the gallery price exceeds his auction record of $274,834, yet his secondary market remains thin, with only four works resold in 2024 for a cumulative $276,702. The exhibition also coincides with Kami's participation in two group shows in Paris—at the Centre Pompidou-Metz and the Musée de l'Orangerie—alongside major figures like Francis Bacon and Alberto Giacometti, underscoring his growing institutional recognition.