Hell on Earth

Stelios Faitakis masterfully depicts modern subjects in a style reminiscent of iconic paintings of the Middle Ages. The distinctive and technically outstanding visual language of the paintings of young Greek artist Stelios Faitakis skillfully combines the depiction of modern subjects with the influence of Byzantine, Russian, and Eastern iconic painting. The trademarks of his work are the intensive use of the color gold and images of halos, which were prevalent in medieval painting styles. Faitakis's perspectives are unsettling, his content provocative. Referencing numerous styles, his images juxtapose Medusa-headed giraffes with skateboarders riding waves of destruction or religious martyrs and bizarre gangsters with suffering lovers. Violence, death, and destruction lay siege to his apocalyptical landscapes. Stelios Faitakis, who currently lives in Athens and has been painting since he was a child, builds worlds out of his images just as masterfully as he breaks them down again. The richness of detail in his work can be seen in the context of Pieter Bruegel and Mexican mural art. His powerful figurative technique takes installation to a new level that shows how criticism of current social conditions can be combined with timeless spiritual intensity in innovative ways. Since receiving his degree from the Athens School of Fine Arts, Stelios Faitakis has exhibited his work in numerous successful shows around the world. Most notably, his large scale mural paintings received international accolades at the Athens Biennale in 2008 and at Art Basel Miami in 2009.