Born in 1935 along the Yogosalv-Hungarian border, Itchak Tarkay faced the terrors of the Nazi regime at just nine years old when he and his family were forced into the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration. Liberated by the allies, Tarkay and his family survived and immigrated to Israel in 1949, where they spent the next two years on a Kibbutz.
In 1951, Tarkay earned a scholarship to the Bezalel Art Academy in Jerusalem. Due to financial difficulties and his duty to serve in the Israeli Army, he was forced to leave after just one year. Following his service, Tarkay moved to Tel Aviv and enrolled in the Avni Institute of Art, graduating in 1956. During this time he gained in popularity holding exhibitions in both Israel and abroad. Most notably, he held an exhibition at the International Art Expo in New York City from 1986-87.
Today, Itzchak Tarkay is one of the most popular and loved artists in the world. He has inspired dozens of artists with his bright, colorful depictions of the female form. Influenced by French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, Tarkay’s work shows elements of the styles of Matisse and Toulouse-Lautrec. In addition to being a painter and watercolorist, he is a master graphic artist and his unique combination of form and color is achieved primarily through the use of the serigraph. His pieces are a classic style that people always return to appreciate.
