NEW ARTWORKS: Dionisis Kavallieratos

This column, is hosting new artworks, of younger and older artists who either are on exhibition this days or had recently been exhibited, in order to grope together with the artists all the aspects of their work. Dionisis’ Kavallieratos flexible artistic practice includes small and large-scale sculptures in wood, clay or mixed media and drawings in pencil and charcoal. His work reveals a dazzling inner world, a personal universe of a post-pop mix of mythology, history, politics and religion that addresses fundamental issues such as good and evil, life and death, sex, heroism and immortality through a surreal and ironic point of view. The works of his solo exhibition “This witch all want none shall ever have” at Bernier/Eliades Gallery, create a personal cosmology with poetic narratives that depict the human species in the depths and heights of its greatness, through a humorous and ironic style.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Bernier/Eliades Galley Archive

You are creating a world that levitates between fairytale, comics and reality, from what of your needs it’s arising? Also your humor is iconoclastic, caustic and ultimately a key element to all your work, would you like to explain to us, what it serves?
A deep need to mock established morals, to put myself in the position of the clown and do the wrong just to bring out what i think or feel is wrong with the world, it’s the traditional way of the satirical comedian.
Sculpture & Drawings, are they complementary, interrelated or independent?
In my work yes, all these things.
Why are you using color in your sculptures and black & white in your drawings?
The real reason is that i am very bad with color, even though the sculptures look colored, deeply they are black & white. Same with drawings, I wish I had the freedom and the guts to paint real paintings like a real painter but I really cannot so I pretend to draw instead.
We know your work from the Athens School of Fine Arts till today, I distinguish significant differences in the way you use materials and tools but with the same humor that is your characteristic, your resettlement from Athens to Berlin is related to the above changes?
Yes, since I moved to Berlin I had less space for a studio so I had to adjust, I couldn’t be making huge wooden sculptures anymore so I started making small ceramics and drawings. But i also like to change, I wish I could work with an even bigger variety of materials, and also different kinds humor! Life is so small and limited, nice to fantasize you are many different people.
How easy is the access to the already structured art system in Berlin for a Greek artist who lives and works there?
For someone who really wants it is easy. If you push it you can do it I guess, you know these days in the art world you don’t need much talent, you need a lot of blah-blah witch is also a talent.
What story are you narrating to us, through your new exhibition at the Bernier/Eliades Gallery?
I also try to find a story to connect all the works in the new show, but there isn’t one. But i guess it’s about what always concerns me, some basic things in life, society and the Universe: Death, Death, Death, Fun or No fun, Love, Astronomy, Brotherhood of man, Searching for the truth.

Info: Bernier/Eliades Gallery, 11 Eptachalkou Street, Athens, Duration: 11/2-31/3/16, Days & Hours: Tue-Fri 10:30-18:30, Sat: 12:00-16:00, www.bernier-eliades.gr