Figures Reaching for Bowl of Oranges

Mark Kostabi, born Kalev Mark Kostabi on November 27, 1960, in Los Angeles, California, is an American artist and composer of Estonian descent. Raised in Whittier, California, he studied drawing and painting at California State University, Fullerton. In 1982, Kostabi moved to New York City, where he became a prominent figure in the East Village art scene by 1984. He is best known for his paintings featuring faceless figures, often commenting on contemporary political, social, and psychological issues, with stylistic influences from Giorgio de Chirico and Fernand Léger.

In 1988, Kostabi founded "Kostabi World," a large New York studio known for openly employing numerous painting assistants and idea contributors. His work has been widely exhibited internationally, including retrospectives at the Mitsukoshi Museum in Tokyo (1992) and the Art Museum of Estonia in Tallinn (1998). Kostabi's art is held in the permanent collections of major institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, and the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. He has also designed album covers for bands like Guns N' Roses ("Use Your Illusion") and The Ramones ("¡Adios Amigos!"), as well as various products including Swatch watches and Alessi vases.

Beyond visual arts, Kostabi is an accomplished composer, having performed with musicians like Ornette Coleman and Tony Levin. His compositions have been performed by the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, and his discography includes albums such as "I Did It Steinway" and "Songs for Sumera." Since 1996, Kostabi has divided his time between New York and Rome, further enhancing his presence in the Italian art scene.