Ioannis Filippopoulos

Note by Vanessa Viti

CURATED BY VANESSA VITI ART CURATOR

The Greek artist Ioannis with great pictorial skill creates works of art full of strength and feelings

.The brushstrokes are decisive, intense and full of energy. Sometimes, the colors appear suspended,making the work incomplete, thus following the "unfinished" style. Ioannis' works are the expression of a language, through it the artist tells his thoughts and points of view, leaving the dialogue with the viewer open.

The work "Pharaoh" is characterized by decisive brushstrokes, it is these that play an  important role, no contour lines or drawings appear, each shape is rendered by the application of color. The artist Ioannis is able to render brightness and three-dimensionality simply with the use of color and brush. The work aims to be a starting point for an important reflection regarding the theme of racism. Starting from the disputes that have been raised on the theories regarding the ethnicity of Egyptian civilization, for example the afro-centric theories. Reflecting on sensitive and importan tissues such as cultural identity is necessary, respect must be the prerogative. It would be necessaryto do a significant job of dialogue and discussion on equality, only in this way can empathy becultivated.

The work “Female nude” represents a woman without clothes, naked, free, she is the center of thework, she occupies a large part of the entire painting; colors and brushstrokes, as always, become the protagonists of the composition and bring out Ioannis' pictorial talent. The light colors of  contrast with the dark ones of the background, making the work extremely balanced. This work addresses the theme of the woman's body, the stereotypes connected to it, a reflection on contemporary society. Today we are continually told that we can be ourselves, without fear, we must feel free in our body. But is it really like that? Are there still aesthetic standards that  imposes on us? It seems clear that, if on the one hand there is a current of thought and a"body positivity" movement that supports theories on self- acceptance, on the other hand we are constantly inundated with images that portray "perfect" bodies. 

The work “Cosmogony” is a radiance of energy, a clatter of colors and vibrations. The brushstrokes move within the work freely, as if they did not take time and space into account. The work appears suspended, infinite and mysterious. With this work, the artist talks about the future, of which he obviously knows nothing, so he relies on abstractionism to give life to a real vision rather than a work. The colors that the artist decides to use are bright and luminous, they are full of vital energy,in fact, the future that Ioannis imagines is certainly positive.