Giorgos Kontis

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Layers of wax applied on the folded surfaces of the paintings penetrate their silky skin rendering it transparent and, eventually, reveal parts of the wooden support elements that lie beneath. This exposure is part of a deconstruction process that Giorgos Kontis’ works undergo during their conception and making. It evokes an apparent state as if you've just poured a glass of water over a white T-shirt, and only a few minutes pass until it dries and the secret inside of the work becomes again hidden. A play of a visual language with both the veiling and unveiling of a matter that keeps remaining elusive yet present. The artist focuses, in general in his work, on a sense of fragility which is so subtle and sensually perceivable and comes in contrast - or in dialogue - with the pure abstract and conceptual language of his works. Are then the works meant to address us through our senses, our intellect, or perhaps through both?

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Giorgos Kontis (born 1981 in Athen) studied at the Athens School for Fine Arts, at the Academy of Visual Arts (AdBK) in Munich and at the University of Arts (UdK) in Berlin. He holds a MFA at St. Joost Academy in Breda, Netherlands, and he recently completed a practice based PhD in Painting, from the Royal Collage of Art in London, on the notion of Authenticity. He lives and works in Berlin and Athens.