Forms of Existence (EN)

KOSTAS EFIMIDIS FORMS OF EXISTENCE

Under the auspices of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Thessaloniki

Kostas Efimidis was born in 1962. Since the early years of his childhood he has pursued and developed his interest in painting, acquiring his first experiences from his father who was a painter. At the same time he attended courses in painting at the Department of Art of the Moscow University. He participated for the first time in a group exhibition at the age of twelve painting portraits of well-known German Classic Writers. In 2001 he became a member of the Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece (E.E.T.E.), of the Society of Visual Artists of Northern Greece (Σ.Κ.Ε.Τ.Β.Ε.) and of the International Society of Painters in Moscow, Russia. In December 2001 his name was included in “The Atlas of Greek Diaspora”, since he is considered a significant representative of painters of Greek origin. He completed one of his most important pieces of work “The Battle of Alexander the Great at Issu” in 2002 and was given for this an award by the former President of the Greek Republic Konstantinos Stephanopoulos. This painting is 27 meters wide and 3,5 high and it is made with oil on canvas. The painting is decorating the Ceremonial Hall at the Army Officers’ Club in Thessaloniki along with his other painting “The Battle against the Italians in 1940” (2003, dimensions: 2,60mX3,60m). Other works of Kostas Efimidis are exhibited at the Municipal Gallery of Thessaloniki, of Drama and many other public places in Greece, as well as in private collections all over the world.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS More than 20 solo exhibitions in Greece and abroad GROUP EXHIBITIONS Participation in more than 30 group exhibitions all over the world

The global art at the turn of the centuries has become inconspicuous. Differences in style, in trends and directions of artistic thinking have become a matter of individual search on expression modes of plastic representations. Various stylistic and aesthetic elements used by artists have now acquired the nature of a tool or that of a reference in the hands of the modern creator. The art of Kostas Efimidis is not exempt from these contexts. His personal artistic culture is saturated by countless allusions and flashbacks to the great art world craftsmen of the 20th century. With a quick glance at Efimidis’ paintings one can instantly notice the aesthetic resonances with the pursuits of Russian artists of the circle Larionof – Filonof and the works of some representatives of the Paris School such as Picasso, Chagall and others. Without being limited to a particular style, the artist tries to interpret the modern reality by bringing it through the torn nets of artistic experiments of the early 20th century. Thus the uniqueness of artistic pursuits, and the attitude of the art that existed between the 19th and 20th century is revealed in its response to the atmosphere of modern times. In this case though, we are talking only about external morphological characteristics of the style of a personal technique. The art of that time was revolutionary and experimental. It embodied the dissatisfaction from the reality that was impossible to be expressed with the means of the old pragmatic approach anymore. In a way, it was the absorption of the bright and transparent Apollonian ideal, by the aggressive and saturated Dionysian element. But in the case of Kostas Efimidis’ art, a rare transformation takes place. It feels like the artist is putting the flywheel of time to move inversely, forcing the modern viewer to form a new conception of the art of bygone eras. Skillfully manipulating the plastic experience of the painters of the past and based on their morphological searches, Kostas managed to change the conceptual source of this art, and to harmonize the form by filling it with new content.

Having lost its ecstatic anguish as well as the momentous revolutionary sincerity, but maintaining the freedom to morphological searches, Kostas’ art has acquired a new value. The painter has re-interpreted and in some cases has completely changed the codes of artistic concepts and associations, thus giving to the familiar form another character and a different meaning. With confidence and subtlety, the artist mixes to his tarpaulins the existential tragedy of Filonof’s art, with the pagan Hellenism of Picasso’s art, decorating the composition with the expressiveness of Kirchner or with the popular theatricality of Russian Futurists. But here we are not dealing with a collection of references to the world of painting, but with a special and unique phenomenon in art.

The true uniqueness of the painter Kostas Efimidis is hiding in him himself, in his sincere love for people and the world that is fermented with romantic passion, and the openness of his soul, his chromatic musicality and his passion for seeking the ideal harmony and the common uniting concepts.

Vitaly Lavrushin Member of the Russian department of the International Association of Art Critics (AIS-AICA) Member of the International Art Foundation

5 G.Papandreou St., Thessaloniki

www.govedaroufineartgallery.com

Tel: (0030) 2314015613

info@govedaroufineartgallery.com

Mon. – Wed. – Sat.: 11.00 – 14.00

Tue. – Thur. – Fr.: 17.30 – 21.00