From 12 October through 6 November, DID I SEE THIS? art exhibition at Press Club Brussels will showcase paintings and collages by Greek artist Nikolaos Antoniou.
His new exhibition, DID I SEE THIS? presents an unconventional artist in an untraditional setting, making the Belgian capital the perfect place to showcase his work.
"Brussels is an amazing place to exhibit because there are so many different nationalities, people, languages and cultures. I'm very excited about it, and of course thankful also for the opportunity at the Press Club," Antoniou told The Brussels Times.
Antoniou hales from the Epirus region in Greece, which was the poorest region in the European Union until recently.
Pursuing an art career was simply not an option. But Antoniou nevertheless pursued his passion as a hobby and began painting at the age of 15. He first showed his artwork at an art exhibition in his home town, and from there slowly started to participate in more and more art exhibitions throughout Greece, including one at the French Institute in Athens.
Credit: Nikolaos Antoniou
Antoniou never received formal training in art. In fact, he studied a completely different subject matter: mathematics, and eventually a post-graduate degree in probability theory at Durham in the UK, where he was also the artistic director of the monthly Durham University Arts Magazine.
In Durham, he also had another big break when Charles Saatchi of Saatchi Gallery purchased one of his collages for his private collection, and an even greater one when his work was selected out of 13,000 for the summer exhibition of the Royal Academy of Art in London. Eventually, he settled in Brussels with his family to work full-time as a strategist and communication consultant but continued to paint on the side.
"When I move places, I take all my paintings with me. So they journeyed to England when I went to do my post-graduate studies and they came to Brussels after. They travel with me, they follow my life story," Antoniou admitted. While he would love to work as a full time artist, he believes that to be practically impossible these days, especially with a young family to raise.
In March 2022, he exhibited at the Green Door Gallery, and Press Club Brussels will be Antoniou's second exhibition in the Belgian capital. He admits that finding a space to showcase his work has not been easy, and that he feels consistently ignored in the face of young talent with art school degrees and representation by an art gallery.
Credit: Nikolaos Antoniou
"It's very difficult for individuals to participate in these things," he explained. The Press Club Brussels, however, seems to be the perfect location for him. Unlike traditional art galleries, the space has allowed Antoniou great freedom in terms of the art genres and styles that he can exhibit.
A dream, a colour or a smell
DID I SEE THIS? showcases acrylic paintings and collages that explore a variety of genres, including abstract, expressionism and landscapes. The mood ranges from chaotic to funny to dreamy and everything in between, inviting the "visitor to explore what it means to see, perceive and appreciate different art forms and ideas" as well as "perceive different realities and accept the unpredictable, illogical and surreal in equal doses."
"I hope people experience the exhibition with surprise – positive or negative – to be challenged a little bit," Antoniou concludes, "I'm just interested in people's emotions and impressions. Maybe it will remind them of a dream, or a colour or a smell that they experienced many years ago."
