NEW YORK, NY.- The art world is remembering Tony Bechara, a celebrated artist and influential cultural leader, who passed away on his 83rd birthday. Bechara died peacefully in New York City, the metropolis he called home for over 60 years and where he played a significant role in shaping the artistic landscape.

Bechara was a unique figure, seamlessly blending his own vibrant artistic practice with a deep commitment to institutional leadership. Throughout his career, he was also a dedicated advocate for fellow artists, notably championing the work of Carmen Herrera and Leon Polk Smith, artists he felt deserved greater recognition. His warmth, generosity as a mentor, and dedication to cultural philanthropy have created a lasting legacy that extends beyond his own compelling body of work.

A pivotal chapter of Bechara's leadership was his 15-year tenure (2000-2015) as Chairman of the Board of Directors of El Museo del Barrio. He continued his involvement as Chairman Emeritus in 2016. During his time as Chairman, Bechara spearheaded the institution's transformation into a nationally and internationally acclaimed museum dedicated to LatinX and Latin American art. His ongoing support and visionary contributions will be commemorated at the museum's annual gala this June. Beyond El Museo, Bechara was a valued trustee for organizations including Studio in a School, Instituto Cervantes, Brooklyn Rail, and the Brooklyn Academy of Museum (BAM), and was a dedicated benefactor of the Met Opera.

Born in Puerto Rico in 1942, Tony Bechara pursued his education at Georgetown University, Georgetown Law School, and New York University before further studies at the Sorbonne in Paris and the New York School of Visual Art. He ultimately settled in New York, where he cultivated his distinctive style of dynamic, color-saturated paintings over five decades.

Bechara's singular approach to color theory drew inspiration from a diverse range of art historical movements. He incorporated elements of the palettes of Matisse and Vuillard, the pointillism of Seurat and Signac, the traditions of weaving and crafting, the Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna, and the precision of hard-edge abstraction. These influences converged in his unique painting process, which utilized a tile-like grid as a foundation for exploring color interactions. His "painting blind" technique involved meticulously taping sections of canvas while applying colors, resulting in playful and visually stimulating surfaces where order and chance beautifully intertwined.

Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Bechara's work was featured in exhibitions organized by the Criss-Cross pattern printing collective and in the group show "Islamic Allusions" at the Alternative Museum in New York. He was also included in the 1975 Biennial Exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. In 1980, he received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and in 1981, he participated in "The Shaped Field: Eccentric Formats" at MoMA PS1. Bechara had solo exhibitions at the Alternative Museum (1988), Artists Space (1993), and the Museo del Arte Puerto Rico (2008). His more recent participations in significant exhibitions include "With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in American Art, 1972-1985," "Point of Departure: Abstraction 1958-Present," "Artists Choose Parrish," and "Spin a Yarn." Lisson Gallery recently announced their representation of Bechara, presenting his first solo exhibition with them in January 2024.

Bechara's artwork is held in numerous prestigious public and private collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, El Museo del Barrio, the Museo del Arte (San Juan), the Sheldon Museum of Art, the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Brooklyn Museum also recently added his work to their permanent collection.

Tony Bechara's legacy will endure through his vibrant artistic creations, which continue to challenge viewers' perceptions of color, and through the numerous institutions and artists he tirelessly supported. A new publication, "Tony Bechara: Annotations on Color Schemes," was recently released, and a forthcoming monograph in collaboration with El Museo del Barrio will feature an interview with Bechara by Hans Ulrich Obrist and a curatorial essay by Domitille d’Orgeval.

Alex Logsdail, CEO of Lisson Gallery, reflected on Bechara's impact: "Tony was, first and foremost, a dear friend and a true gentleman. His unwavering support for other artists and his deep sense of civic duty were invaluable. He was a man of profound integrity. His legacy as both an artist and a philanthropist is immense, particularly his transformative leadership at El Museo del Barrio. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him."