Yiannis Adamakos, In Between E, In Between I

Abstraction and colour dynamics

The paintings In Between E and In Between I by Yiannis Adamakos are free from representational elements and showcase the power of colour and the variety of texture.

Deep red and dark blue in different gradings dominate the 2 pieces, with local injections of orange, ochre and dark tones, which create internal contrasts and focal points.

The surface of the paintings is formed through layers of colour that coexist and create subtle shades.

The aniconism of the paintings

Focusing on form, colour and texture, the paintings:

• Synthetically, balance between uniformity and rupture. The external monochromy breaks in localised intensities, directing the eye and creating an internal conflict.
• Emotionally, exude passion and quiet melancholy, elements that constitute signs of reflection on colour, which acts as a carrier of sensation and memory.
• Technically and aesthetically, showcase the importance of colour relationship and texture in abstract modernism.

As the painter himself notes in relation to the aniconism of his work, “Clarity that tends to have an image robs the spectator of imagination, in the absence of which a work of art cannot be completed.”

His life in a nutshell

Yiannis Adamakos was born in Pyrgos, Ilia, in 1952. Between 1973 and 1978 he studied Painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts under Georgios Mavroidis, Dimitris Mytaras and Panayiotis Tetsis.

He continued his studies in Paris (1978-1981), where he came into contact with contemporary movements and important works of the past.

He has taught sketching and colour at the Art Workshop of Chalkida and the Vakalo Art & Design College.

Today he lives and works in Athens and Tinos.

Favourite themes

Adamakos creates undefined landscapes that act as reflections of the sensory world, refracted by memory.

He is interested in exploring the boundary between explosion and calmness, light and darkness, impulse and order. He is also interested in rendering the void, which is represented rich in meanings and senses.

Artistic style

Yiannis Adamakos is considered an established moderniser of abstract painting. In his first works, he expressed himself through distortive expressionism.

Later on, he dove into a new artistic line that emphasises the austerity of colour and mainly relies on the presence of dark and bright surfaces dominated by abstraction, with very limited representational elements.

A recognised artist

The painter has presented his work in many solo and group exhibitions in Greece and Europe, as well as at the Hellenic Cultural Center in New York City in 2002.

In 2007 we participated in the 1st Athens Biennale, titled Destroy Athens.

In 2013 Benaki Museum hosted an exhibition with his recent works.

His pieces are also featured in the collections of the National Gallery, the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts – MOMus and the Bank of Greece.

In other literature

In 2008 Agra Publications published the album Yiannis Adamakos: Painting 1977-2007, with 180 paintings classified by decade.

The 2 works by Yiannis Adamakos, In Between E and In Between I, are exhibited at the Alpha Bank central branch, 40 Stadiou Street, Athens.

If you are a researcher, you can visit us by appointment.

Contact us to book your visit.