ANDREAS STYLIANOU - Bottoms Up, 2021

ANDREAS STYLIANOU

b.1990

Bottoms Up, 2021

enamel and spray-paint on aluminium sheets with aluminium wall support

35 by 43 by 5 cm.

Unique

Artwork Description

A Cypriot artist, Andreas Stylianou was born in 1990 and currently lives and works in Nicosia. Besides receiving a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree at the Architectural Association (London), he also earned a Master's degree from the Royal College of Art as well as from the IE Business School (Madrid). Using a variety of media, Stylianou has uncovered a dormant world that is blossoming as the work evolves sequentially. Throughout his work, the artistic narrative is reflected through popular characters, vibrant colors, and creative techniques. In 2019, Stylianou switched from working in Architect’s office to getting his own artist studio and had his first solo exhibition Ball is Out, Galstian Advisory, California, USA. He was also invited to participate in the While Supplies Last group show at the Bellevue Art Museum, Washington. Stylianou held his second exhibition, Andreas Stylianou: Year One, Alpha C.K. Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus in 2020 followed by Light Headed, Future DMND, California, USA in 2021.

Born in 1990, Cypriot artist Andreas Stylianou has developed an affinity for creating and collecting art at an early age. Later on, he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree at the well-known Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. Making his Asia debut, Stylianou’s latest works will be showcased at CURATOR Style’s Art Central presentation, including Super Sonic (2021) and Light Headed (2021), are produced with purposely cut and unevenly shaped aluminum panels painted with enamel paint, which are a complete departure from his previous canvas works in terms of medium and style, hence reflecting more about his architect’s sense towards the property of one material and another. Driven by an urge to search for the emotional meaning in his latest works, Stylianou further abstracts his subjects of familiar cartoon characters like “Sonic the Hedgehog” by deliberately hollowing out their eyes. Without the disturbance of these figurative elements, one may effortlessly delve into the ocean of his emotions and feel his soul mastering the direction of his brushstrokes, which are extraordinarily executed in each of his unique works. Between the flowing impulses of colours, Stylianou is intentionally walking on the thin line between control and lack of control, or more precisely, the will of self and the natural order: on the one hand, he composes the scene in his paintings with complete control of his brushstrokes; on the other hand, he attempts to let the colours organically burst or flow on the painting surface as guided by the natural forces, like rivers bearing with the traces of time. Each work thus plays as an important hint to the artist’s charm as well as providing an exotic feel by revealing the captivating remote landscape of his home by the sea. Altogether, they intrigue the audience with the artist’s story of returning to his birthplace during pandemic, where he reimagines his roots by letting himself be absolutely lost in the natural wonders. Furthermore, for him, art acts like a perfect medium for sharing his intricate relationship with time, which he has once stated that as he paints, it would usually take a few weeks for a work to be completed, because he would wait until the previous layer of colours to be naturally absorbed and dried up to apply the next layer. Hence, he suggests that feeling time flows in his painting is like imagining the process of waiting and appreciating a sunrise or sunset till over. Stylianou’s presentation at Art Central is also CURATOR Style’s debut exhibition with the artist, who joined the programme in 2022.

ANDREAS STYLIANOU

Bottoms Up

二〇二一年作

關於作品

賽普勒斯藝術家安德烈亞斯·斯蒂利亞努出生於 1990 年，目前在尼科西亞生活和工作。他於建築聯盟學院獲得學士和碩士學位，還獲得了英國皇家藝術學院和西班牙馬德里IE 商學院的碩士學位。斯蒂利亞努擅於運用各種媒介，隨著作品的不斷發展，揭示了一個甦醒中的世界。他透過在作品中融合流行文化中的角色人物、鮮豔的色彩和創新的技巧，體現其藝術風格。2019 年，斯蒂利亞努毅然卸下建築師的身份，創立了自己的藝術家工作室，並在美國加州 Galstian Advisory 舉辦了他的首次個展「Ball is Out」。他也被邀請參加在華盛頓貝爾維尤藝術博物館舉辦的「While Supplies Last 」群展。在2020年，斯蒂利亞努在家鄉尼科西亞Alpha C.K.畫廊舉辦了他的第二次展覽「Andreas Stylianou: Year One」；2021年，他更再次踏足加州，在Future DMND舉辦展覽「Light Headed」。

是次展覽將展出斯蒂利亞努的最新作品，作為他的首個亞洲展覽，包括《Super Sonic》（2021）、《Light Headed》（2021）等均利用了金屬、鋁板及噴漆創作，跟他以前的布上作品截然不同，從媒介上反映了他的建築背景和對物料的敏銳觸覺。此外，這一系列作品均以不規則的形態呈現，切割後的金屬外形酷似家傳戶曉的卡通人物「超音鼠」（或稱為「音速小子」），輕易地勾起觀眾的童年回憶。最特別之處，是他故意掏空主角的雙眼，旨在從角色的刻板形象中抽離，希望透過抽象的外觀線條表達內在的情感。觀者因此不再受到圖像的干擾，能夠暢快地穿梭於藝術家豐富的情感之中，並從他揮灑自如的筆觸真切地感受其內心世界。在色彩流動的脈搏之中，藝術家更故意行走於理性與非理性、自我意志與宿命的邊界，一方面受意識驅使而動筆描繪景象，另一方面則果斷地抽離自我，藉由自然力量的牽引，讓色彩在畫布上任意跳躍或流淌，形成一道又一道記載著時間軌跡的河流。它們帶領觀者一步步探索這位來自遠洋的藝術家的個人魅力，以及其家鄉塞浦路斯沿岸迷人的風景線。這系列創作於2021年，受到他在疫情前後回到熟悉的成長地深受其自然景色啟發，通過創作拼湊出對「家」的想像，更抒發他自身與時間的聯繫。正如他分享時提及，每一幅畫的創作時間或長達數星期，皆因他會在不同層次的上色之間讓色彩自然地沉澱直至乾透，如此獨特的創作手法猶如等待、欣賞至結束一場日出或日落的過程，在此其中便能感受到時間的淌去。