Diversity in Unity

An aspect that applies all too much to the sculptures of the Greek artist Anastasios Paraskevopulos (born in 1956). There is a constructive “dia-log” with the sculptor and the valuable material, namely wood, marble, granite, basalt and metal, also glass and ceramics. “The materials are always very friendly to me”, he says. He received his artistic training at the highly decorated Catalan College of Fine Arts “Escuela Superior de Disseny I Art ‘LLOTJA’” in Barcelona from 1984 – 1992.

As a very contemplative and reflective sculptor and painter with a high propensity for philosophy, he always sees a kind of link between nature and philosophy. For a very long time, he has been studying the work of Paramindes whom he regards as an ancestor of the persuasion of dialectics and aesthetics. Indeed, nature, around his studio, for instance, is among the important sources of inspiration for his sculptures. At the moment he is mostly working on his impressive sculptures in wood. He explains very clearly what meaning they have for the artist, as follows: “The surface firstly has no colour, it was created during the process, secondly I emphasize the naturalness and the randomness that most of the time is my best ally, thirdly is naturalness is the soul of the sculpture and is plasticity. I always use the hardest woods because they are the most suitable for sculpture. The beech woods which are abundant where I have my atelier wood of mulberry, cherry, cypress, etc. And the best is the tree of olive which also emits a very nice perfume but I am sorry to use it because it is a sacred tree that has nourished the Greek people for thousands of years. I avoid using olive wood because it is a sacred tree and I have a lot of respect, not that I do not respect the rest of the trees!” It is certainly no coincidence that Anastasios Paraskevopulos was elected Ambassador of “‘Holly Wood’s Art Centre”. A very interesting and characteristic example of these wooden sculptures is the artist's work consisting of two semicircles, which belong to the collection of the Grand Palais in Paris. An interesting play of suspension and balance. The artist would have given it the decidedly appropriate title "Complementary".

Another fascinating sculpture, this time carved out of stone, is the outdoor sculpture in Mayen in the Eifel region of Germany (a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium). Anastasios Paraskevopulos realized this sculpture there as part of an International Stone Symposium ”LAPIDEA” in 2003. His grey basalt sculpture with the lyrical title “Wave” is his favourite stone. As he pointed out: “My baslastkolos is the sea. On it floats the hemisphere as a symbol of perfectionism.” It testifies to the meaning and the love of the sea for the artist, who grew up in Thessaloniki. The movement of the waves on the water becomes visible. The notches with the interesting play of light and shadow evoke not only a visual but also a tactile experience.
This sculpture is also remarkable from an art-historical point of view. It is the first time that a sculptor has succeeded in executing a floating sphere in this formation.

According to the artist working with the sculptures is linked to happiness. He receives positive energy as a gift; a gift for the beholder. The work of art is only completed in the eye of the beholder. The artist is always concerned with the deeper insight between the viewer and his artwork. His works of art can be seen in the following museums, such as the Museo Luigi Bellini in Florence, in the collection of the Grand Palais in Paris. A wooden sculpture can also be admired in the Greek Embassy in Japan. “The flagship of my artistic journey”, he calls this work. Since his sculpture is the only one that was selected from all over the European Union to be represented in TOKYO for cultural exchanges. Many galleries in Europe and the USA show his work, for example in Berlin, Rome, Paris, Madrid, London, New York and San Francisco.

PhD Kerstin Bitar, Art Historian.