Kodak Nation - Yiannis Roussakis

ABOUT US Etihad Modern Art Gallery is an independently run, sponsored art gallery located at the heart of Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates. Our primary goal is to develop the next generation of artists through exciting and different exhibitions, events and exclusive publications from a breadth of talent. The talent at Etihad Modern Art Gallery doesn’t distinguish or discriminate between contemporary, urban, street and pop art, rather embrace and look to display visually engaging exhibitions from a hybrid of artistic disciplines.

The gallery’s core principal of offering affordable original artworks and limited editions is combined with the belief that the work on display must have a strong visual impact and high quality production. This is what unites all of the artists we work with, as many experiment with a variety of different media from a multitude of backgrounds and disciplines.

The gallery’s founder, H.E. Khaled Seddiq Al Muttawa, created a friendly and versatile art environment that is open to everyone. Over the past three years Khaled has always championed new and interesting visual artists, irrespective of background or discipline. He has seen a huge number of what were once seen as new and emerging artists grow into the household names that are now collected all over the world.

The championing of new artists and their work has never been more prominent than in the last 3 years. Etihad organized significant art shows and local heritage exhibitions and created bonds with the International art scene and academic institutions worldwide. The gallery is invited international artists to live, teach and create art in the UAE. The aim is to motivate local artists to showcase their work and host a wide range of parallel cultural activities like art workshops, poetry nights and music events. Etihad Modern Art Gallery is a strong art organization deeply rooted in the local community, aiming to play a positive role in the brightly emerging art scene of Abu Dhabi and integrating different cultures with the local community.

ARTIST Yiannis Roussakis Photographer/ Visual Artist Yiannis Roussakis’ photographic work aims to reveal the surreal nature of seemingly trivial objects, spaces and moments, reflecting the notion that our personal reality is a state of dreaming. Born in Athens, Greece, Roussakis has for the past 12 years been living and working around the world, in locations as varied as Indochina, Qatar, Mexico, Ghana, India, Oman, Scotland, London and Athens. He is now based in UAE. Roussakis’ visually exuberant and explorative body of work articulates a world in which people build a personal symbolic language out of fragments of their everyday experience.

He believes that these symbols have deep roots in archetypal forms of our common legacy as a species. Through this symbolic language we describe and interpret deep internal personal processes. Those symbols are usually made out of the most humble materials, out of experiences that are considered trivial and insignificant, like the curve of a shell, the sound of a pot boiling, the lights and shadows from the streetlights on the bedroom’s ceiling.

Roussakis has presented his work in solo and group shows in London, Athens and Glasgow.

His work was commended at the 2012 Sony World Photo Awards and was included in the final show at Somerset House in London.

ARTWORKS

Felix Polaroid Yiannis Roussakis Archival Print Limited Edition

Dr Smena and The Cozmic Symbol Yiannis Roussakis Archival Print Limited Edition

Electric General Yiannis Roussakis Archival Print Limited Edition

Gerrand Soho Yiannis Roussakis Archival Print Limited Edition

ARTWORKS

Mr Tri-Vision Yiannis Roussakis Archival Print Limited Edition

Sultan Ibrahim, the Monochrome Conqueror Yiannis Roussakis Archival Print Limited Edition

Sgt. Sputnik Yiannis Roussakis Archival Print Limited Edition