Itzchak Tarkay was born in 1935 in Subotica on the Yugoslav - Hungarian border. When he was only nine years old, Tarkay was sent to Mathausen concentration camp by the Nazis. In 1949 he and his family immigrated to Israel and by 1951 he had received a scholarship to the Bezalel Art Academy.
Tarkay has achieved recognition as a leading representative of a new generation of figurative artists. The inspiration for his work clearly lies with French Impressionism, particularly the paintings of Matisse and the drawing style of Toulouse-Lautrec. While summing up the characteristics of his model subject without relying on the precise copying of natural forms, or the patient assembling of exact detail, Tarkay's rich tapestry of form and color is achieved through the use of silk-screen painting.
Many colors are laid over one another and used to create texture and transparency. After exhibiting both in Israel and abroad, he received recognition at the International Art Expo in New York in 1986 and 1987. Some of his most popular paintings are: "Countryside Ladies Coffee", "Ladies Seaside Tea", "Ladies Seascape Cafe", "Ladies of Luxury", and "Reflecting Lady".
