Michalis Karaiskos


Statement

I'm working across painting, drawing, and, more recently, installation work and performance. I primarily explore themes related to mortality, sexuality, and masculinity. These interconnected elements of male identity are intentionally presented in an ambiguous, often evoking a sense of foreboding within the imagery. I often integrate autobiographical elements, including my home environment, relationships, and self. The psychological impact of an unsettling, indefinable fantasy was pivotal in guiding me to construct scenery that delves into dreamy or eerie imagery that provides a window into an alternate reality. The interiority of the psychic subject is present and read through its physical appearance, but it is also reflected by the interiority of the space it inhabits. However, these works aspire to hold just as much concrete reality as those depicting simple everyday scenes of intimacy, so when these different images are juxtaposed, they develop a unique dialogue which invites the element of surprise.
                                       
    Biography

    Michalis Karaiskos is a visual artist of Greek and Cypriot descent based in London. He graduated from the Athens School of Fine Arts in 2010 and has exhibited extensively across Europe. In 2021, he held a solo exhibition titled "Neither Visible nor Invisible" at the DL Gallery in Athens. Michalis has been an artist in residence at institutions such as the Mark Rothko Center in Latvia, among others and has received international awards, including the J.H. Pinto Painting Award.

    Links
    Instagram 
    Website
    Degree Show Location: St. James’ Hatcham Building (Church) + Floor 2, Performance in Barriedale Building (Studio B), Ground floor

    Untitled (Partner)
    oil on canvas, 16inch x 12 inch, 2024
    When the Rooster’s Chorus Went Silent
    oil on linen, 40 x 30cm, 2024
    Midnight Reflections at Ommaney road,
    oil on linen, 40 x 40cm, 2024
    Untitled
    oil paint on canvas, 100 x 100cm, 2023
    Embodied Subjectivity Triptych
    oil paint on canvas, 16inch x 12inch each, 2023