Allegories

Through his exhibition, Allegories, Aristos Christoforou aims to showcase selected works from series that are both completed and still ongoing starting from 2009 until today.

While they vary thematically, the introduction of the five series as a single entity, allows the viewer to experience the work as a cohesive narrative, the transitions from one another smooth and effortless, demonstrating the artist’s evolution through time. The artist’s aspiration through this painstakingly long process of gathering all past projects together, was to experience his own body of work as a whole, in order to be able to further develop.

Christoforou chooses the human figure as his main theme; the viewers witness his subjects go through many mental stages throughout his body of work. The figures who dominate this exhibition are beautiful in an unworldly, grotesque manner, composed of thick strokes and layers of paint, hard lines and mostly vivid colours. They exude mystery, withholding hidden meanings. As Barry Schwabsky said, “The painting is not there to represent the image; the image exists in order to represent the painting. This [is] to make every painting, whether abstract or representational, into a kind of allegory of painting.” Through the content, texture and colours, the viewer encounters layers of emotions, ideas and situations.

An allegory, in short, is not just another word for a metaphor. In essence, it is a form of fiction that represents immaterial things as images; feelings as images. It is those unseen feelings that Christoforou transforms into illustrated human forms. Influenced merely by the observation of life, he presents narratives which are heightened with the sentimental complexities of everyday experiences that combine agony, pathos, sexuality and introspection of humanity.

On the upper floor, we get to experience how it is to be in the artist’s head; spreads of sketchbooks, books that have inspired him, studies, rough sketches, evidence of his experimentations and procedures. A reconstruction of his most personal space: his studio. The room was created in order to invite the viewers into the artist’s head and introduce the foundation of his work, his process and progress, his inspirations, thoughts and ideas, but also the connections between themes and techniques.

The strong imagery, may be stills from his life, with narratives that allude to his own existence, but it is the viewer that really defines the story with their own experiences and references; the work becomes biographical for each one of us. In the end what could be more allegorical than the actual human body, the vessel of the soul, hiding so many stories, thoughts, feelings and ideas?

Aristos Christoforou holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University for the Creative Arts in Canterbury, Kent. He involved himself in three group exhibitions during his studies in the United Kingdom and in a number of group shows in Cyprus, including the Eat My Art private exhibition in April ‘16. Christoforou also works as a tattoo artist and an Art teacher at the Photos Centre of Arts in Limassol. His first solo exhibition took place in 2008 at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Centre in Limassol. He now lives and works in Limassol. Allegories is his second solo show.

Opening - Saturday, 01.04.2017 | 19:00

The exhibition will be inaugurated by the Honourable Mayor of Limassol, Mr. Nicos Nicolaides

Open until - 08.04.2017

At Beat Bazaar, Chatziloizi Michailide 20, a side road off Saripolou Square, opposite Mallon Glikis traditional coffee shop, Limassol(tel: +357 99849560)

Opening times: Monday - Sunday, 11:00 - 14:00 / 17:00 - 21:00