Αbout limits, sidelines 'Clear is wise, not the unclear.' Euripides

Solo Painting Exhibition by Nikos Kaskouras

February 22 - March 16, 2024 Athens TEXT BY Niovi Kritikou PARTICIPANTS Nikos Kaskouras

Αbout limits, sidelines 'Clear is wise, not the unclear.' Euripides

In the exhibition “Clear is wise, not the unclear,” Nikos Kaskouras captures his artistic perception in an astonishing way, going beyond simple representation. This exhibition reflects the paradoxical element of composition, the gesture of melancholy, and painting that transforms the figure into archetypal patterns, creating a captivating dialogue with the viewer.

Aphrodite,
69 x 13 x 15 cm,
2022

His contemplation in this section is depicted through existential agony that governs human existence. N. Kaskouras creates an unusual density in the image that transcends the boundary between the visual and the symbolic, aiming for the universal. The subject of the exhibition transcends time and space, as the artist removes the realistic way of perception, which is then translated with an emotional clarity.

Black Figure,
35 x 12 x 10 cm,
2016

The fences depicted on the canvas surface seem to occupy his thoughts frequently, serving as symbols of constraint or social pretenses. They function as an internal reference to his artistic imprint. In turn, they intensify the sense of limitation, creating a unifying myth in his thinking. Paradoxically, the artist portrays freedom through constraints, enhancing the contradiction and ambivalence between the desire for autonomy and the necessity of boundaries. The conceptual extensions here are dual, raising questions about the constrained space.

Couple,
24 x 13 x 6 cm,
2022

Couple,
31 x 23 x 16 cm,
2022

However, the central theme remains a human-centric approach deeply sympathetic to the hardships of life. The creator compassionately embraces the emotions of the depicted subjects to crystallize them sincerely. Through the agonizing recording of pain-filled themes, he manages to offer humanity an Aristotelian catharsis, a purification arising from the sorrow of a shadowy world. According to Hegelian philosophy, the essential function of art strips truth through its own manner and the appearance of the Idea it represents. Thus, the painter does not hesitate to elevate a human figure into concepts of religiosity, an ancient idol, or a simple recording of a form entangled infinitely, illuminating points that society and humans artfully conceal, avoid, or willingly blind themselves to.

Female Figure,
31 x 10 x 8 cm,
2018

Female Figure,
42 x 8 x 8 cm,
2020

The choice of the cruciform writing style is crucial and deeply characterizes the artistic idiom of the creator. In this way, he highlights the complexity of the human soul, capturing it in a manic web of observation. This writing style, as observed throughout his artistic journey, resembles a weaving grid expressing the internal, invisible web of relationships and emotions. With this cruciform approach, N. Kaskouras highlights the diversity and similarity that constitute the human being and the emotion of the soul. With almost staccato brushstrokes, lines, and sharp gestures, the painter captures the essence of his inner truth.

Figure,
23 x 8 x 8 cm,
2016

The color palette is distinguished by gray color contrasts and the presence of some intense colors that, however, seem to emerge from the background, like an internal light. They allow certain points to pierce the complex and, at the same time, cruciform writing, like rays of light. In extension, they add dynamism and interest to the image, inspired by the use of light in Byzantine thinking. The colors disrupt the routine of the palette, which initially seems to move towards more muted shades, offering new dynamic perspectives in viewing. The culmination of this thinking erupts in the red portrait of the section that gazes directly at us. This seems to deviate from the bonds of light emerging from behind in the other artworks, spreading as a unifying background without a temporal frame. Thus, the ultimate purpose of the exhibition for a holiness with a revolutionary disposition for change is imparted, prompting us to contemplate.

Figure,
29 x 12 x 10 cm,
2016

Nikos Kaskouras offers an emblematic recognition of limitation and freedom through a paradoxical artistic discourse that invites the viewer to oscillate between the limits of consciousness and the human soul. N. Kaskouras overturns the ordinary, creates a captivating composition, provokes thoughts and emotions, leaving the viewer pondering the limits of their own perception.