2019 DUMA Biennial artist IOANNIS KARALIAS

Ioannis Karalias, Me and My Demons, 2018, acrylic on canvas, 39×59 in.

In his new paintings, the artist uses a direct approach and vivid, illuminating colors, illustrating the balance of nature between vitality of our rich world and another worldliness. His creatures, mainly animal motifs taken directly from his mind and influenced by different periods of art history, from Egyptian motifs to ancient Mayan forms, enter into an intense dialogue with one another. The creatures cease to be merely symbols of their human counterparts and the roles they play; and instead—through the truly personal convictions of the artist—capture something deeply universal.

From the artist’s statement.