Abe Ajay

Abraham "Abe" Ajay (1919–1998) was an American artist who was best known for his artistic contributions for The New Masses magazine during the late 1930s and early 1940s. and also for his creative use of reliefs made of found objects during the 1960s and beyond. Abraham Ajay was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania in 1919 and the American Artists School in Manhattan. Later his often intricate constructions, created from tooled wood, gypsum and cast plastics, reminded may art historians of the sculptures of Louise Nevelson. In addition, many critics believe that Ajay's work illustrates religious architecture. It was during this time period when Ajay achieved considerable acclaim within the art community.

Ajay was a professor of visual arts at State University of New York at Purchase, N.Y from 1978 until his health began deteriorating towards the mid to late 1990s. Following a move back to Bethel, Connecticut, Ajay died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1998 at the age of 78. He was survived by his wife, Betty Raymond. Ajay's work is contained in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington. In addition, Ajay's work with New Masses is available in existing copies of the magazine found throughout the country.