Skating ahead in Dubai’s art and design scene is Greek-American artist Fotis Gerakis whose new exhibition at Cities Boutique, Galleria Mall is set to get the region’s creatives moving.
Fotis Gerakis’ exhibit, which runs from April 19 to 29, is the first of many as part of a series launched by Cities Boutique to showcase new forms of artistic expression and support emerging artists and designers.
The purpose of the exhibition is to encourage viewers to discover the world of art that often resides within the realm of design. As such, Fotis, a lifelong artists whose motion graphic and art direction work was awarded multiple times with prestigious Emmy and telly awards, is the perfect person to debut the series with the star using skateboards as his blank canvases.
The Urban Skateboard Art, which combines graffiti and street art, offers a challenging perspective on possession and identity as it represents an acquisition of a style and medium that is typically used to characterise a specific societal group – the urban youth. With his possession of this medium, and his contrasting approach (bring intriguing beauty to mundane daily objects), Fotis rebrands it as art-worthy of being hung in homes and museums. That said, if you really want to, you can still hit the ramp with the art pieces.
“At Cities it’s very important for us to develop good relationships with upcoming designers and artists; we want to encourage them and provide whatever support we can to help them grow and succeed,” explains Hazem Aljesr, owner of Cities boutique. “This exhibit is the first in a series of events that we are planning in an effort to share their innovative art and design creations with the world.”
Fotis’ work focuses on contradictory and conflicting symbols, for example his Diva range sees Marilyn Monroe with Warhol-esque Campbell’s soup cans and Sophia Loren with a scooter. He challenges perceptions and Cities hope he will help us change how we view the art world…
The exhibition will run at Cities Boutique from April 19 to 29.
