Yaacov Agam: key obituary facts
Is Yaacov Agam dead? Yes. Yaacov Agam died on June 21, 2026, at age 98.
Cause of death: Yaacov Agam's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Yaacov Agam known for?
He was known as Israeli sculptor and experimental artist (1928-2026).
More about Yaacov Agam
Born: 11 May 1928.
Place of birth: Rishon LeZion.
Gender: male.
Occupation: sculptor, experimental artist, painter, serigrapher, jewelry designer, graphic artist, artist.
Nationality: Israel, France.
Education: Bezalel Academy of Art and Design.
Notable work: Fontaine.
Awards: Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Career began: 1947.
Also known as: Jacob Gipstein Agam, Yaacov Gipstein, Yaacov Gipshtein, Yaakov Agam, Agam (Yaacov Agam).
Known for: Contributions to optical and kinetic art.
Yaacov Agam, the Israeli sculptor and experimental artist celebrated for his contributions to optical and kinetic art, died on June 21, 2026, at age 98.
Born Yaakov Gipstein in Rishon LeZion, Mandatory Palestine, he trained at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem before continuing his studies in Zürich in 1949 under Johannes Itten at the Kunstgewerbe Schule. Working across sculpture, painting, printmaking and graphic art, Agam also became known for works such as Fontaine and for his distinctive role in postwar experimental art.
In 2026, he received the Israel Prize for Visual Arts.