Today we’d like to introduce you to Michalis Papakalodoukas
Hi Michalis, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a self-taught artist, New York based painter, Michalis Papakalododoukas; and I was born in the capital of the Dodecanese, Rhodes, Greece in 1963, where I’ve lived most of my adult life.
My art is inspired by nature, man and fictional worlds. Art books are my main and constant source of artistic education. I have been a multifarious entrepreneur for many years, working in the hospitality and tourism industries back home, and the past nine years I moved with my family to New York and have worked as a chef while simultaneously working on my art.
I have participated in several group exhibitions and some of my works are exhibited in places such as the Presidential Residence and The Museum of Modern Art of the Municipality of Rhodes. Many works have also been acquired by private collectors throughout the world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I was raised in an environment which didn’t support the arts. It was understandable when someone considers the time and the place. My family believed when I was young, that I should know to do something that will get me a job more conveniently than being an artist, so I wasn’t sent to art school like I wanted initially. I became a business owner and entrepreneur at a very young age owning my own places in the hospitality industry, and through that I would always find a way to be creative. I became self taught in the history of art and through that I found my style and form of expression through need and discipline. When I was younger I painted on wood, made sculptures from inconvenient materials, and generally worked on different aspects of my art to get me where I am today. Through it all, no matter the employment or entrepreneurial successes, the only constant in my life has been my art.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
For me my art has been a constant necessity in my life. My subject matter was initially landscapes of the island of Rhodes, and also familiar faces of friends, family, even strangers, and also political matters of injustice. My all-time favorite theme, which has always fascinated me the most, is the human body. After living in New York for the past eight years, my latest work is inspired by how multicultural my new home is; That is how the multicolored people paintings were created if anyone sees my most recent works; Almost chaotic, but cohesive. Living in harmony; can’t be more New York than that! I also love working with children; Any time we have kids at home I let them paint with me and let them sign the paintings as well. Seeing the world through them and collaborating with them has been a great way for me to be re-inspired.
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