33. AIMILIOA METAXAS - A SPACE BETWEEN DESIRE AND DAYDREAMING.

The emergent artist discusses his creative process.

Aimilioa Metaxas, 150x190cm, Ink on canvas, 2023.

There is a quality of levitation within your works, a state emerging between different times... something ancient and future simultaneously seen, can you reflect upon time within your work?

I think is very important to look back on the past to reflect, as long as you don't forget to keep your focus on the future. You need to remember that you can't change what happened in the past, but you can always influence the future.

The past plays a fundamental role in our evolution as human beings. We get the chance and absorb all the knowledge our ancestors dedicated their whole lifetimes to discover and allow us to use this knowledge to advance our ways of living. For me the past, my roots and heritage play a fundamental part in who I am. I grew up in Greece, the myths and art of the Ancient Greeks had a permanent presence in my education, life and upbringing. Because of that, I use characters from old well-known stories to share my ideas and thoughts to discover more about myself.

I found your mention of an ancestral link to silk to be really interesting and how specifically you feel towards not framing your works with glass, please can you expand upon this?

In the digital age, we might have the opportunity to see more images than anyone ever could, but we became blind to the materials that people use in order to create these works. It is important to remember that throughout history the materials themselves were meticulously chosen for each piece and added character to the works, hence it is vital to understand the role the materials played as fingerprints to the artisan's labor, as well as a testament to the time and place the piece was made. From the famous ultramarine to the coveted Tyrian purple, to silk and gold - all these materials add a distinct feel that cannot be experienced through our phone screens. That was one of the ways I protested against the craze of the digital age. I created works using ‘luxurious’ materials which forced people to come and see my works in person, that way they have the opportunity not only to see my works in a different light - from how they would if they saw them online, but also get the chance to interact and exchange ideas with other present individuals. Silk in particular is a material I experimented a lot with in my latest works. My last name is Metaxas which means silk in Greek. The story of my ancestors is that they used to export silk from China to the Byzantine Empire through the Silk Road. I grew up with silk, as it had a permanent presence in my childhood from the stories I would hear about my ancestors to the myths the ancient Greeks wrote, silk has always been this magical material that everyone desired.

Aimilioa Metaxas, 70x70cm, Ink on silk, embroidered pearls, 2023.

The reason behind my decision to not place a glass frame onto my paintings is to avoid the separation that it creates between the art and the viewer. Glass as a material is cold, distant and unbendable. Our daily lives have been conquered by seeing everything through a glass frame, creating a barrier between ourselves and our experiences. I wish for people to become closer acquainted with my works, to be able to see them not only through sight but with the sense of touch. I feel that as people crave more intermediate connections, for a sense of touch, a true experience which has been lost in the last few years. Throughout history, humans have experienced life using all of their senses, sight, touch, hearing, smell, etc. We recently lost touch and we wish to get it back.

The symbolism within your work feels very strong, can you expand upon your instinctive connection to the symbolic?

For me, symbolism serves as another form of language. We use symbolism to express our ideas and thoughts when it’s difficult to do so with words. Each image could carry a whole sentence within it and so you could say my paintings can be perceived as texts written in the symbolism language. It’s a way for me to bring forward personal dilemmas and to question the world in which we live. Furthermore, my fascination with mythology and storytelling, fashion, and jewelry, plays a huge part in fuelling my curiosity about how people used symbolism to convey messages and have full-on conversations with no words needed to be spoken. It serves as a testament to the genius creation that we humans are.

You react to events in a very considered way, as an artist what do you feel your work explores and what is affecting your creative responses?

I feel a strong desire to influence people and assist them in dealing with their inner demons. I do believe that finding a balance between living life as an adult while keeping your inner child alive is vital for one's survival. Balancing desire with innocence, responsibilities with daydreaming.

In search of inspiration, I would often go out to meet with people and create my own experiences. It is important to have your own real experiences if you wish for your work to be sincere. Nothing can replace the impact of experiencing something yourself. Humans are at the center of my work. I explore identity through the use of mythology and the depiction of the human body, in addition to how everything is being influenced by the idea of value that we humans have artificially created.

The works often seem quite visually threatening and yet there is also a playful tension that you explore. How do you decide upon the context of your paintings?

Life is all about balance. As the saying goes, for all the happiness you wish for someone, someone else gets cursed with equal misery. Honesty sometimes can come across as threatening or scary, desire and lust cloud your mind and actions. At the same time, though desire is the leading cause for innovation, exploration and knowledge. Playfulness serves to balance these forces of nature, to restrain their destructive nature, and reveal their potential.

Aimilioa Metaxas, 190x150cm, Ink on canvas, 2023.

Aimilios Metaxas - Utopian City - until 13 September 2023. Artsect Gallery, Algha Works, Smeed ROAD, London E3 2NR.

Riposte Day Rave - Saturday 16 September 2023, 12:00 Noon. 60 Dock Road, London, E16 1YZ.