In 1988, the artist Nikolas Antoniou was born in the quaint town of Larnaca, Cyprus. Nikolas obtained his degree in 2012 from the Department of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Western Macedonia in Greece. While studying there, he closely collaborated with professors and artists Harris Kondosphyris and Manolis Polymeri.
If you were to look through Nikolas’s compositions, the human figure is prominent in the majority of his pieces. Figures and portraits appear and disappear on the canvas in various areas. The works by the artist attempt to discuss the spiritual realm of man and the different existential concerns he has with strong lines, vibrant colors, and emotionally charged figures.
In his most recent pieces, Antoniou briefly disengages from the person in order to focus, reconsider, and explore the significance of the background. In actuality, the dynamic and emotional charge generated by the abstract painted surface made the figure the work’s hero. This interaction and dependence are now up to the viewer to manage since the figure is no longer there.
“My paintings do not stem from a specific idea or theme; I consciously avoid focusing on specific questions or particular answers, and instead, I create new pictures which generate unknown questions,” says Nikolas.
Thus, without giving it much thought, a painter creates hazy spaces, objects that seem out of place in time and space, alongside other things that seem disconnected and figures that are lost in a highly detailed environment.
“Objects and figures, lost in an intensely painterly environment, coexist and interact, giving meaning to their existence,” explains Antoniou.
Ultimately, these elements coexist and interact, giving each object a purpose, telling a tale, and expressing a sentiment.