Yioryios is a Sydney based artist with a passion for architecture and abstract form. Drawing inspiration from Sydney’s iconic Opera House, his ‘Distorting the Inherent’ exhibition is an exploration of translating architecture into sculpture. Christina Rae reports.

From acquisitions by the Australian Embassy in Paris, to having his work featured in Artist Profile Magazine, and a plethora of exhibitions between Sydney and Canberra, Sydney-based artist Yioryios is constantly inspired by his surroundings. Using a variety of mediums in his work, Yioryios aims to create visual responses to architecture and the built environment in a more abstract form, whether through his painting, sculpture, or jewelry collections.

For his ‘Distorting the Inherent’ exhibition, his principal inspiration was Sydney’s Opera House, and the series of sculptures on display reinterpret the elegantly curved edges and dramatic angles of Jørn Utzon’s work. The collection will be on display at Artereal Gallery on the 4th of May.

To create the sculptures, Yioryios begins by making concept ‘sculptures’ crafted entirely from torn and cut-up photographs of the ‘architectural muse’, before playing with the form and shape until hints of the final sculpture begin to emerge. Once the general idea has been teased out, he heats aluminium composite until the metal is malleable and manipulates the sheets into an approximation of the concept sculpture. In finishing the work, he juxtaposes matte and glossy acrylic paints over the aluminium base, drawing attention to the sharp peaks and gentle slopes of the aluminium sculpture.

Habitus Living’s Christina Rae had the opportunity to ask Yioryios a few questions about his inspirations and designs ahead of the exhibition.

Christina Rae: What is the biggest influence in your work?

Yioryios: Abstracting my surroundings – being able to experience and see what’s around me in an abstract perspective.

Rae: How would you describe the ideas behind ‘Distorting the Inherent’?

Yioryios: The ‘Inherent’ is captured from sourcing architectural patterns – by either taking the patterns and shapes of a column, or the particular angle of a building, and then removing and transforming these outlines and translating it into aluminium. I then distort these characteristics through the pliable nature of aluminium.

Rae: What has been the most formative experience that influences your work?

Yioryios: Being inside the building themselves. In particular the Sydney Opera House with its concrete arch pillars that leads your eye around the skeleton.

Rae: What mediums do you most enjoy working in?

Yioryios: I use different mediums for different purposes. When using ‘Oil paint’, I use it for the rich, sticky, and textural quality. I use acrylics to gain a clean and sharp effect. I like painting on aluminium because I am able to distort and manipulate its shape.

Rae: Can you tell me a bit about your jewellery collections?

Yioryios: I’ve had a strong upbringing in the fashion industry due to my mother’s occupation, so it was always a natural approach for me to intertwine the two mediums of fashion and art. I like the way these pieces form around the body, and watching the movement it creates on the female form.

In the ‘Distorting the Inherent’ Exhibition, Yioryios aims to showcase architectural icons in a reinterpreted way, with the intention of encouraging the viewer to re-approach the familiar landmarks with a new appreciation, perspective, and sense of possibility.

Yioryios’ Distorting the Inherent Exhibition
4th – 28th May, 2016
Artereal Gallery
747 Darling Street
Rozelle, NSW, 2039

Yioryios
yioryios.com

Artereal Gallery
artereal.com.au

Photography by Yioryios and Bonnie Hansen.