Artist Donald Yatomi was classically trained in the fine arts, but also actively rebels against that very training. The conventionally celebrated images in the fine arts such as romantic scenes, a lovely landscape, cozy interior or beautiful person, do not inspire Yatomi. Instead, he finds himself drawn to mundane slices of life, the very opposite of these traditional subjects—landscapes that are unappealing rather than breathtaking, interiors that are grungy rather than cozy.
Whole Foods, oil on canvas, 15 x 72"
Big Boy, oil on steel, 8 x 24"“I love the challenge of painting the most overlooked and uncelebrated pieces of life,” Yatomi says, “whether they are the landscapes of alleyways and taverns, the interiors of laundromats and toilets, or the homeless people on sidewalks and street corners. While I paint these things in rebellion against my classical training, I also paint them to challenge myself to find ways to celebrate the uncelebrated, the ugly, the mundane. These things are beautiful in ways I feel that classical training cannot fully express.”
In addition to this subject matter, Yatomi is inspired by the work of artists such as Willem de Kooning and Antoni Tàpies. “In my studio,” says Yatomi, “my approach is also very unromantic. I usually have metal music playing in the background and a can of Rainier beer to drink.”
Reed Market Pub, oil on canvas, 24 x 48"
From November 1 through 30, 2021, viewers will be able to find Yatomi’s work at a group show at Peterson Contemporary Art Gallery, alongside artists Ken Roth and Valerie Winterholler. —
Want to See More?
(541) 350-8745 | www.donaldyatomi.com
Represented by A Gallery/Allen+Allen Fine Art
1321 S. 2100 East | Salt Lake City, UT 84108
(801) 583-4800 | www.agalleryonline.com
Instagram: @donald_yatomi_fineart
LinkedIn: /donaldyatomi
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