Konstantin Kakanias

Konstantin Kakanias (born September 18, 1961 in Athens) is a contemporary Greek painter and multimedia artist. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles and Greece. Throughout his career Kakanias has created drawings, paintings, sculptures, performances, ceramics and books.

Kakanias' work does not belong to any single style. He is known to explore a range of themes in his work from the light and comic to the dark and psychological

Career

Kakanias moved to Paris in 1979. He attended the Studio Berçot where he studied Fashion and Art (1981-1984). He was also taught by the Italian artist and stage designer Lila de Nobili. Kakanias started his career at 22, working as an illustrator for newspapers and magazines such as French Vogue and Vogue Italia. He created textile designs for Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Lacroix.

1984, Kakanias moved to Luxor, Egypt to study Ancient Egyptian art and remained there for a year. His art has been influenced by this experience. "Echoes of pharaohs and hieroglyphs reverberate in many of Kakanias' drawings today."

Athens, Greece

He has been working wit
Rebecca Camhi gallery
for more than 30 years and has been extensively showing his work. Notable solo exhibitions of him at Rebecca Camhi Gallery are:
1998, "Yes, Yes, Yes," (exhibition and performance), Rebecca Camhi Gallery, October 22 - December 12
2009, "Daniel," Rebecca Camhi Gallery, October 12 - November 28
2012, ''Tependris Rising,'' Rebecca Camhi Gallery, October 24- December 22.

New York

In 1988, Kakanias moved back to New York City where he collaborated with Tiffany and Barneys New York. His drawings were published by The New York Times and Vanity Fair. In 1991 he dedicated himself completely to making art. In 1995 he had a breakthrough exhibition "No More Stains" at the Postmasters Gallery in New York with sculptures and a performance.

In 1996 Kakanias introduced his fictional heroine Mrs.Tependris for an illustrated New York Times Magazine article. Mrs. Tependris, Kakanias' "alter-ego," is a caricature of an art collector and a high society doyenne who Kakanias uses as "a metaphor for the state of contemporary art and its superficial reception by the public". Mrs. Tependris has become a cult figure in the art community. In 1997 he created his first book ''Freedom or Death'' based on the adventures of Mrs. Tependris.

Los Angeles

Kakanias moved to Los Angeles in 1997. For several years he continued working on the adventures of Mrs. Tependris and in 2002 published In 2004 Kakanias was commissioned by the Greek Ministry of Culture to create a book for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Kakanias has exhibited around the world in museums and galleries, notably "Time Goes By So Slowly" at the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art in 2006 and "A Tribute to Antonis Benakis" at the Benaki Museum in 2004-5. In Rebecca Camhi gallery in Athens, Greece "Yes, Yes, Yes," (exhibition and performance). In 2008 he collaborated with Diane von Fürstenberg to create the comic book ( DC Comics 2008). He has done numerous private commissions. In 2004 Kakanias frescoed a church in Spain for Carolina Herrera Jr.

Publications

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Exhibitions

*Thirty Nine (Anna Wintour Glasses), Rebecca Camhi Gallery, 2012

References

External links

Rebecca Camhi Gallery


* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090425130636/http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/civ_1KathiLev%26xml/%26aspKath/civ.asp%26fdate%3D20/05/2002 Alexandra Koroxenidis, “Putting oneself in the picture: The life of a fictional art collector“ Monday May 20 2002 , Kathimerini-Herald Tribune English edition]

Alexandra Koroxenidis, “ A cult figure’s latest adventures “ Monday April 5 2004 , Kathimerini-Herald Tribune English editionVolandes Stellene "Olympic Talent" Departures Magazine Jul/Aug-2004

Alexandra Koroxenidis, “ Cutout figures and motifs create a sculptural ensemble “ Monday January 3 2006 , Kathimerini-Herald Tribune English edition

YouTube: Konstantin Kakanias show "Pearl's Dreams", Lightbox Gallery, Los Angeles, 2006Irina Aleksander, “Diane von Furstenberg Channels Her Inner Wonder Woman, But Do Superheroes 'Work' In Fashion?“ October 7, 2008 , The Observer

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kakanias, Konstantin
1961 births
Greek contemporary artists
Postmodern artists
Living people
Artists from Athens
Artists from New York City
Artists from Los Angeles