Great Mentors
This page includes artists I researched about before and during my studies at Gray's School of art. All of them are considered by me as Great Mentors who influenced my work before and during my MA program respectively.
Peter Howson
Scottish artist based in Glasgow. He went to Croatia in 1993 as a war artist, he suffered from alcohol and drug addiction and eventually he found god as a shelter. His figures are manifestation of the archetypical existential agonies of humanity. His work expresses trauma from war and suffering. Personally I found his work a deep and profound physiological exploration of human soul. His figures look traumatized by war and robustly dynamic at the same time, his heroes are those that could be protagonists in a Dostoyevsky novel.
William Hogarth
I should ashamed to say that but before I come here in Scotland I had no idea about William Hogarth. Tutors mentioned him once I started researching his work especially the etchings. What I really admire on this artist beyond his craftsmanship of course is how he composes his images and the way he distorts characters creating an exaggerated version of everyday figures contemporary to him.
Jon Bellany
Jon Bellany was one of the first artists I researched about when I started my studies in Scotland. He descended from a small fishing village, and so on his paintings many times depicts fishermen and picturesque figures, that have a hunting vibe to them.
Eric Kennington
Eric Kennington was one of the many British war artists I researched. I really liked his work, the way he shapes the forms with his pencils and the and the war senses he depicts.
Ilya Repin
Judith Winter came by the studio an afternoon saw my work and suggested a documentary of bbc titled the art of Russia. She said that my figures look similar to some artists from Russia. I learned a lot fro this documentary but the artist I really admired was Ilya Repin. In the end of the 19th century he and some other artist rebelled against the national academy of arts. The themes that the academy demanded from students revolved around ancient myths distant from the Russian reality at the time. Repin among others decided to turn their attention on themes that had to do with the common people, the struggle and the poverty. His work is of epic scale and delineate the Russian reality of the time.
Stelios Faitakis
A Greek contemporary painter that uses orthodox iconography as a visual language for his narratives. He reshapes the norm and strict tradition of iconography yand creates a new version that talks about common themes
Felix Nussbaum
Germanjew painter that captured the struggle of Jews during thesecond world war. His figures are grotesque and grimmy while the landscapes he paints are a frame for the narrative and at the same time part of it .
Hokusai’s way of depicting a scene and the way he manages color had a great impact on me. The chromatic palette of softer tones and tints plus the use of negative white space make a composition that nothing feels out of place. In addition to these I find very intriguing the way his pictures are so distant from realism, but at the same time he creates a personal version of it.
Sergio Toppi
He was an Italian Illustrator and comic book artist in the 20th century. I admire his technique not only because he is a great draftsman but also for the use of abstract patterns on the characters he creates. He doesn't care for a realistic depiction, he uses the object as an excuse for letting his inking skill free to make abstract details.
Peter Howson on Painting war themes
Neo Rauch
Neo Rauch is a contemporary German painter, with surreal influences and obvious links to German figurative painting history. His paintings are dreamy and obscure. In the narrative an important role playes scale. What I really appriciate in this artist s how he creates a story open to viewer's interprotion. Plus there are some political comments on his narratives.
Kathe Kollwitz
Raymond Pettibon
American artist associated with the 80s and 90s punk rock scene. His drawing have immediacy and bold character but still are complex narratives usually with political meaning
