Kamran Yousefzadeh, known by the artistic name Y.Z. Kami, was born in 1956. In 1974, after completing his secondary education, he moved to the United States and began studying philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley. A year later he moved to France and continued his philosophy studies at the Sorbonne in Paris. He also studied filmmaking for a time at the Paris Film Conservatory, and upon returning to the U.S., he made several films, including a documentary about Ahmad Fardid. During this period, he became professionally involved in painting and eventually settled permanently in New York, dedicating himself fully to art.

Kami held his first solo exhibition in 1984 at LTM Gallery in New York. Afterwards, he continued to exhibit his work at prominent art institutions in Europe and the United States. In 2007, he participated in the 52nd Venice Biennale with his painting "In Jerusalem". His works were also shown in 2018 at Ab-Anbar Gallery, Tehran.

Like the work of many contemporary artists, Kami’s paintings do not fit neatly into a single artistic style. He develops both abstract and representational approaches in parallel. The link between these seemingly distinct approaches is the overarching presence of spiritual and mystical concepts —perhaps stemming from his philosophical background. Nevertheless, his connection to painting predates his engagement with philosophy, going back to his childhood: Kami’s mother was a painter and introduced him to the medium.

Spiritual and mystical themes hold a central place in Kami’s paintings. His abstract works clearly draw inspiration from Iranian architecture, particularly structures such as domes and "shamseh" (sunburst motifs). In these paintings, small surfaces and words are arranged like bricks around a central point, creating a sense of rotation. For these works, he often uses a palette of turquoise, gold, black, and white.

Regarding Kami’s artistic style, the renown Iranian art historian Ruyin Pakbaz wrote: "Kami expresses his devotion to Iranian culture, Eastern mysticism, and the poetry of Nezami, Rumi, and Jami through a unique synthesis of architectural forms and verse, using a distinctive technique with oil paint. He also seeks to convey an inner, spiritual dimension of his sitters in his large-scale portraits set against neutral backgrounds."