Alexis Akrithakis

Painted in 1970, the present work is a superb example of Akrithakis's works characterised by meandering lines that invite the viewer on an introspective journey to the heart of his paintings. According to accounts by his contemporaries, Akrithakis's studio in Berlin became an anarchic, bohemian haven for artists and poets of a similar political and artistic disposition. Evenings at the studio were often animated by intense discussions, theatrical performances or musical interludes, whilst Akrithakis would sit quietly in a corner painting.

Akrithakis had only decided to become a painter five years before, when the small arrow ('La Flèche'), which would become a trademark motif, first appeared in a drawing. Incorporated into the composition of La Flèche is Akrithakis's other major symbol, the suitcase. These objects are illustrated with vivid, solid colouration, set within an almost cloisonné-like structure of winding white lines. This aesthetic is reminiscent of Byzantine design while being a reflection of contemporaneous movements like American Pop Art.

Akrithakis himself once claimed: 'In painting words are superfluous; in poetry design is superfluous. However, one designs a poem and one writes a painting'. Akrithakis created his own visual script - a sort of winding doodle giving idiosyncratic order and meaning to a seemingly chaotic imagination. Painted during moments of contemplation and introspection, these works combine and juxtapose tranquility with movement and dynamism.