Hot Springs: Jannis Varelas
"Kenophobia, from the Greek 'fear of the void' is commonly known as horror vacui in visual art."
We are pleased to announce the first solo show of Jannis Varelas in Belgium. The greek artist, based between Athens, Vienna and Los Angeles, will be present to celebrate as Brussels discovers his body of work, from painting, drawings and prints to sculpture.
"Jannis Varelas' compositions are characterized by a dense fabric of signs and symbols. There is almost no blank space to be found. Kenophobia, from the Greek 'fear of the void' is commonly known as horror vacui in visual art. It is the filling of the entire surface of a space or an artwork with detail. This impulse is often observed in Outsider Art, where allover compositions creat an unmatched intensity. Every square inch of surface is filled with details and data in a compulsive excess of activity - perhaps in fear of the blank space that might stare back. Varelas' paintings share an elecrifying vision of multitude rather than concentration, stressing diversity over singularity, equality over privilege." - Gianni Jetzer - Independent Curator
Jannis Varelas (b.1977) is a graduate of the Royal College of Art in London (MFA) and the Athens School of Fine Arts (BA). Works by Jannis Varelas are in prominent private and institutional collections such as: Saatchi Collection, London; the Dakis Joannou Collection, Athens; the Zabludowicz Collection, London; The Onassis Foundation Collection, New York and The Hort Family Collection, New York.
