Today we’d like to introduce you to Gregory Christakis.
Gregory, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I started my art career on the island of Rhodes, off the coast of Greece in a small monastery where monks taught me the ancient art of the Byzantine empire. There, i was ordained an iconographer after 2 years of rigorous training. I traveled the Greek islands gaining commissions from different churches and monasteries and started my first art business as an iconographer. After returning to the states i began mixing the different techniques i learned, into a hybrid style that i use till this day.
Now i love travel ing the country doing live art shows, painting and showcasing my art and meeting awesome people from all over the world. Im also currently involved in collaborations with different fashion brands and love getting involved with all kinds of creative endeavors.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My art is a hybrid of byzantine and pop-art made with acrylic, spray paint and stencil work on canvas and wood. It’s inspired by certain social and political issue that we face as a whole of humanity. It’s highly inspired by pop-culture and generation Y. My hope is to get people to think critically and question their position in the world. I want to inspire thought and truth. My goal is to create bodies of work that speak to people and comfort the truth seekers. My art has a lot of hidden meanings and subliminal messages, i want the viewer to get lost in the work and question its content.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
Success for me is creative freedom to pursue my dreams and enjoying the process along the way. Loving what I do and doing it everyday is the only success i care for… the money, yea it’s important, but that stuff comes and goes and should never be the measure of your success… just the result of it. Success is passionately pursuing what you love.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My website artbygstakis.com has a display of my most recent works and makes it easy for people to contact me with questions or purchase inquiries. I do a lot of commission work as well. People can pick a certain style they like and ask me to replicate that same style in a more personalized way that fits their preferences. I always enjoy those creative challenges. I have two instagram accounts @gstakis is my overall art and @thepandaman1.618 focuses strictly on my panda pop-art.
People can support my work by commissioning specific styles, or purchasing finished pieces. I also customize sneakers, duffle bags, denim jackets, bomber jackets and backpacks and am always down to try new things! All of my contact information is on my website and IG pages. Or people can email directly at thepandaman1.618@gmail.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.artbygstakis.com
- Email: thepandaman1.618@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gstakis/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gstakis/?ref=bookmarks
Image Credit:
Joseph Salhab
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