Photo: Instagram
He had already started his career as an artist.
By Alison Cerri — Written on Mar 23, 2019
Kai Schachter has died.
His older brother Adrian paid tribute to his brother following his passing on Instagram. He shared photos of the 19-year-old, along with his art, with the caption “We all share a best friend,” followed by red heart emojis.
Family was a big part of Kai’s life—and art was a major aspect of the family. He was the son of an artist and an artist turned fashion designer. Kai and Adrian spoke about their upbringing and current style with Vogue Italia in November 2018.
“Kai once threw a full-blown tantrum when my dad sold a Dan Colen birdshit painting that had been in his room for years,” Adrian said, recalling one of the many contemporary art pieces that were displayed in their childhood home. Vogue described Kai’s work as “inherently experimental, juxtaposing archival Peruvian pigments and pastels with layered oil paints to depict—sometimes abstract, sometimes literal—homages to ads, clip art and signography.”
Kai said of his work, “I’m inspired when I’m completely immersed in nature and can vigilantly study the beauty and lines created by mother earth, but I equally draw inspiration from promotional signs on trash cans and the popping images plastered on the side of a bodega in NYC.”
His death is a great loss to his greater family of the art community, which was international for Kai. His family, which is famous inside and outside of art, is mourning as well.
So how did Kai Schachter die? Below are five details about Kai Schachter’s life and death.
1. He died by suicide.
Page Six reported on March 13 that the young artist died by suicide on Monday, March 11.
His family released a statement shortly thereafter: “Kai’s death is a devastating loss, he was a hugely gifted artist with a wonderful spirit and a sense of humor that touched everyone he met. The family is asking for privacy at this time as they take time to grieve and gather all of the details.”
2. He had reportedly been dating a British socialite.
Shortly before his passing, he’d been dating Lady Lola Crichton-Stuart. Lola is the daughter of “Johnny Dumfires,” or John Colum Chricton-Stuart, 7th Marquess of Bute, and Serena Bute, a former model. Lola herself is a model.
“She’s very naughty, and quite a force,” Serena said of Lola in the Tatler. The magazine reported that Lola is studying fashion design at Parsons School of Design.
A source told Page Six that Kair “was heartbroken over a busted romance.”
Lola mourned the loss in a post on Instagram.
“You touched every single person you met, so deeply. I always wondered how could someone be so good? How did I get so lucky to have you and love you when I did.”
3. He and his brother were living in New York and London.
Kai was enrolled at London’s Slade School of Fine Art. He and his older brother Adrian were members of Something to Hate One, a London-Based collective. Otherwise, they lived in the Bowery in New York City. One member of the collective, Rafik Greiss, told Vogue Italia he prefers New York. “London’s art scene is a lot more elitist. New York is more open and inviting to young upcoming artists,” Greiss said.
The collective, which shares a London apartment, have held six joint exhibitions of their art in New York, and one in London. Caio Twombly, the group’s 22-year-old curator, spoke of their space’s artistic and demanding nature.
“Everyone [in our apartment] is motivated at different times, and slacking off isn’t an option,” he said of the collective, “we each stimulate each other, it’s healthy competition. We’re all learning to understand art together, and from each other.”
4. His father is an art dealer, critic and curator.
His father is very active in the art world. Kenny Schachter has curated dozens of shows and also produced his own art. He frequently writes for Artnet News, a 24-hour global art market newswire, and contributes to other publications including Poliester Magazine and Art Investor.
One of his more recent exhibitions, Nuclear Family, featured works from his family, including Kai.
Kenny wrote a foreword for the exhibition, deconstructing the term “family.”
“There are times I could barely stand my own family; and they me, for sure. Art is not merely the glue but cement that binds us like rice coursing through the digestive system; and, a window to another dimension that, by the way, has been clinically proven to shorten hospital stays and reduce medications of patients so exposed. Nothing can measure up to the wonderment and curiosity spurred by interacting with art, that thank god, we all have voracious appetites for. It feeds, nurtures, excites, impassions, and fuels us. The family that arts together, stays forever.”
5. His grandparents attracted a lot of attention in the past.
Kai’s nuclear family may be well-known in the art world, but his extended family on his maternal side is globally known. He is the grandson of Denise Rich and Marc Rich; Kai’s mother is their daughter, Ilona Rich.
Marc, the “King of Commodities,” died in 2013 in Lucerne, Switzerland. He fled to Europe in 1983 after he and his business partner Pincus Green were indicted on 65 criminal counts. It was the biggest tax evasion case in United States history at the time; other counts included wire fraud and racketeering. They were also charged with trading with Iran during the oil embargo, while revolutionaries in the Middle Eastern country were holding Americans hostage. Marc landed on the FBI’s Ten Most-Wanted Fugitives List. His companies pled guilty to 35 counts of tax evasion and ended up paying $90 million in fines. He was pardoned during the last hours of Bill Clinton’s presidency; it was a controversial move, as his ex-wife had donated over $1 million to the Democratic party, $100,000 to Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign, and $450,000 to the Clinton Library during Clinton’s tenure.
Denise Eisenberg Rich is a legendary singer-songwriter. She has written songs for Celine Dion, Marc Antony, Diana Ross, and many others. She wrote “Abrazar La Vida,” which was a number-one Luis Fonsi hit and earned Denise the BMI award. She also wrote “Candy,” recorded by Mandy Moore, which became an international hit. She divorced Marc in 1996.
The number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.
Alison Cerri is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics.