Yioryios Papayioryiou Exhibit ‘Distorting the Inherent’ Translates Realities into Abstracts

Creative Sydney-based artist, Yioryios Papayioryiou is presenting his latest works at an exhibition titled “Distorting the Inherent” at the Arterial Gallery in Sydney from May 4 through May 28. While translating architectural principles into visions of fashion and art, Papayioryiou has used various mediums to express his work such as paintings, sculpture and jewelry.

The contemporary artist says that he found much inspiration in Sydney’s Opera House and that he has reinterpreted the curves, edges and dramatic angles of Jørn Utzon’s work. Papayioryiou says that the biggest influence to his work is “Abstracting (his) surroundings – being able to experience and see what’s around in an abstract perspective.”

His creative process is raw and natural. Papayioryiou begins each piece of art by making “concept sculptures” which he constructs from pieces of cut-up photographs of the “architectural muse.” As he manipulates the form and shape of the abstract, hints of the final sculpture begin to take form, at which point he heats an aluminum composite until the metal is malleable and creates an approximation of the final sculpture. Once finished, he created imagery of contrast by placing matte and high-gloss acrylic paints over the aluminium base, creating focal points to the architecture of the peaks and valleys of the aluminium sculpture.

Papayioryiou is a recent graduate from the Australian National University (ANU) and the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts Paris attaining a Bachelor of Visual Arts with Honors and majoring in painting. The Arterial Gallery is known for showing contemporary art by emerging to mid-career artists, categories for which this artist definitely qualifies. He has had his work featured in Artist Profile Magazine as well as acquisitions from the Australian Embassy in Paris. This show marks one of many that he has executed from Sydney to Canberra.

The inspiration for this latest exhibit, Distorting the Inherent, came from a place of abstract thought and process. “The ‘Inherent’ is captured from sourcing architectural patterns – by either taking the patterns and shapes of a column, or the particular angle of a building, and then removing and transforming these outlines and translating it into aluminium. I then distort these characteristics through the pliable nature of aluminum,” says Papayioryiou.