Leon Michail
Leon Michail's works evolve through multiple, thin layers of
paint – acrylic emulsions, applied on the raw and rough surface of the canvas,
while steadily thrive between the open boundaries of abstraction and
representation. He seeks transparency and intensity in dark and semi-bright
shades with the intention of creating a misty, eerie atmosphere surrounding
imaginary landscapes.
This process enlivens in him the desire for a nostalgic
contemplation before the emergence of landscape painting – as a distinct visual
genre – and from the subsequent recognition of its aesthetic autonomy. If the
elusive image of an “inner-scape” recalls our primal unity, or our closest
connection with our natural landscape, then it can conditionally lead us to a
new state of mind.
Leon Michail was born
in Athens, in 1979. From 1998 to 2004 he studied painting at
the Athens School of Fine Arts. From 2005 to 2007 he studied “Theory
and Practice of Language and Arts” at the École des Hautes Études en
Sciences Sociales in Paris, where he obtained his Master’s Degree. He has
made 2 solo exhibitions in 2017 and 2010 in collaboration with
the Hellenic American Union and Ekfrasi – Yianna Grammatopoulou
gallery in Athens. He has participated in various exhibitions such
as Rematerializing Culture at Michael Cacoyannis Foundation,
Athens, Aegeanale 2015, Kivotos Art Projects/Art Dovecotes by Diles at Mykonos
and Tinos, Bouzianis Museum, Ionian Parliament, Corfu, Athens
School of Fine Arts, Athens.