ALMA GALLERY ATHENS
"Viscera" | "Bowels"
Individual Exhibition | Solo Exhibition
Stamatis Theocharis | Stamatis Theoharis
Duration | Duration : May 30 - June 29, 2024 | 30th May - 29th June 2024
Inauguration | Opening : Thursday 30/05, 19:00 – 22:00 | Thursday 30/05, 19:00 – 22:00
ALMA Athens | ALMA Athens: Ypsilantou 24, Kolonaki, Athens, 10676 | Ipsilantou 24, Kolonaki, Athens, 10676 +30 211 4003160
Gallery Hours | Gallery Hours: Tue - Thu - Fri 11:00 - 20:00 Wed - Sat 11:00 - 15:00
''To the rescue III'', acrylics on canvas, 70 x 40 cm
"Viscera" - "Intestines"
The journey to the dream world, a world of inner search and subconscious processes begins. In his works, Stamatis Theoharis, with his characteristic pop look and at the same time with clear references from art deco and art nouveau, opens the gates of a surreal universe that floats sometimes in the sky and sometimes in the sea. He composes images using male and female faces, naked bodies, symbols, animals with a desire to capture universal emotions that emerge " within " us, in our relationship with significant others, but primarily in our relationship with ourselves. Fear, jealousy, forgiveness, love, wounds, salvation from our inner demons but also the defenses that make us fortify ourselves every time we are faced with the catalytic, total transformation that love relationships bring. The dominance games, the idealization of the love object, and the daily battles we fight with ourselves and others come to life. The collection includes a collage of experiences, captured in a way that is fluid and in constant motion. Movement towards liberation and truth.
Breaking down societal stereotypes about gender identity and sexuality, from the boy with the earring and the naked male body wrapped in pearls, a favorite motif in the artist 's collections , to the boy with the bruised face and the axe, Stamatis brings in the foreground the pleasures but also the traumas, the wounds caused by connection and human friction. Images full of provocative contrasts that challenge you to surrender to the senses but at the same time to reflect on your repressed desires and limiting perceptions of human bonds and the bonds that arise from them.
Interiority and eroticism dominate the many levels of reading the compositions. Dominant colors are gold, blue and pink. Blue and pink for both sexes, hovering over the gold background. Bright colors create a light, playful mood on the one hand, and gold adds a touch of grandeur on the other. A combination of feminine and masculine energy that is ambiguous. A sharp allegory between the changing modern society and the anachronistic old age full of prejudices and propriety. The dancing movement on the bodies and the portraits wearing a "halo" put the viewer in a mystical, almost cultic atmosphere. Renaissance paintings, as if in a church iconostasis, crafted with masterful precision. The methexis of the viewer, like another believer, calls us to "worship" our passions, to forgive our sins and to be redeemed by surrendering to our fragile nature. Pilgrimage to the god of love but also to the artist himself for the opportunity he gives us to come face to face with the "inside" of our sacred psychic world, without social dictates and filters. Cleansing and purification.
Kostantina Sykaras
MA psychologist - psychotherapist
''Forgiveness'', acrylics on canvas, 100 x 70 cm
"Viscera"
The journey into the dream world, a world of inner search and subconscious processes begins. In his works, Stamatis Theoharis, with his characteristic pop look and at the same time with clear references from art deco and art nouveau, opens the gates of a surreal universe that floats sometimes in the sky and sometimes in the sea. He composes images using male and female faces, naked bodies, symbols, animals with a desire to capture universal emotions that emerge "within" us, in our relationship with significant others, but primarily in our relationship with ourselves. Fear, jealousy, forgiveness, love, wounds, salvation from our inner demons, but also the defenses that make us fortify ourselves whenever we are confronted with the catalytic, total transformation brought about by love relationships. The games of domination, the idealization of the love object, and the battles we daily fight with ourselves and others are brought to life. The collection comprises a collage of experiences, captured in a fluid and constantly moving way. Movement towards liberation and truth.
Breaking down social stereotypes about gender identity and sexuality, from the boy with the earring and the naked male body wrapped in pearls, a favorite motif in the artist's collections, to the boy with the bruised face and the axe, Stamatis brings to the fore the pleasures but also the wounds, the wounds caused by connection and human friction. Images full of provocative contrasts that challenge you to surrender to the senses but at the same time to reflect on your repressed desires and the limiting perceptions of human bonds but also the bonds that follow them.
Inwardness and eroticism are dominating the many levels of the composition reading. The leading colors are gold, blue and pink. Blue and pink for both sexes, floating on the golden background. The bright colors create a soft playful mood on one hand and on the other hand the gold adds a touch of grandeur. A combination of feminine and masculine energy that is ambivalent. A sharp allegory between the changeful modern society and the anachronistic old age full of prejudice and propriety. The dancing movement on the bodies and the portraits wearing "halos" put the viewer in a mystical, almost cult-like atmosphere. Renaissance paintings are crafted as if on a church altarpiece with masterful precision. Like a viewer's meditation, he invites us like any other believer to "worship" our passions to forgive our sins and redeem ourselves by surrendering to our fragile nature. A pilgrimage to the god of love and to the artist himself for the opportunity he gives us to confront our "inner" sacred soul world, without social dictates and filters. Cleansing and purification.
Constantina Sykara
MA psychologist - psychotherapist
''Forgiveness'', acrylics on canvas, 100 x 70 cm
