KOSTAS CHARAMABIDIS AT "ARGO" GALLERY
THEME: "HELLAS, WHERE ARE YOU HEADING?"

On Tuesday, 24 April 2012, "Argo" Gallery (No. 5, Neofitou Doukas Street, Kolonaki) will hold the inaugural opening of an art exhibition with paintings by Kostas Charalabidis under the theme "Hellas, Where Are You Heading?"
A permanent resident at BRY SUR MARINE, near Paris, where he maintains his workshop, often spends time in Athens and Mytilene with his family.
He studied visual arts at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris (1971-1976). At the same time, he was the student of Yannis Tsarouhis – a leading Greek painter – who introduced him to world-wide renowned art-critic and publisher Stratis Eleftheriadis Teriade, who inspired leading twentieth-century painters (Matisse, Picasso, Sagal, Miro Jacometti and others of that era).
Impressed with the paintings of Kostas Charalabidis, Teriade bought his works and took him under his wing. He said that Kostas Charalabidis is the great hope of the greek painting for the future. Charalabidis is a master in optical deception (Trompe l'œil), a technique highly appreciated in France. The origins of Trompe l'œil go back to the 5th century BC, when the celebrated Zeuxis painted some grapes so luscious and inviting that the birds flew down from the sky to peck at them.
The work of Charalabidis enjoys international recognition. He is often admitted at major international exhibitions, mostly at Grand Palais in Paris, and his paintings are hosted in museums and major foundations. He is featured in Martin Monestier's art review Le trompe l'œil contemporain.
Today, he is viewed as one of the most significant representatives of optical deception in Europe. Indeed, Yannis Tsarouhis called him a "master in optical deception".
His work stands out as he prepares all his materials himself, a technique he mastered with patience and dedication at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, which was also shared by all the great masters of the 18th and 19th centuries (i.e. Delacroix)
He also stands out because, as the artist himself says, with his paintings he attempts to deceive the viewers and make them wonder whether his "newspapers" and his "front pages with breaking news" are real or not. In his quest for truth, his works reflect a reality as perceived by him, depicting events and experiences of our absurd lives.
His works will be exhibited at Argo Gallery through 19 May 2012.