Agelos Kotzias

The tripartite structure of Agelos Kotzias' 'Untitled' suggests a religious triptych, a sacred altar piece which can be opened and closed to reveal a devotional image within. But instead of a saint or martyr, the central panel contains a mountain range, giving way to swooping brushstrokes reminiscent of Japanese calligraphy that hint at a road. To one side, a solitary figure stands, as if returning from the mountains, or poised at the beginning of a journey. The earthy palette of greys, greens, oranges and browns reflect the natural materials of the planks and twine that create the base of the piece, placed to resemble a ladder, or a railway track, on the left hand side. Agelos Kotzias is a 2023 graduate of UCA Farnham whose work was was selected in 2022 for the Fiber Art Biennale in Yunnan, China, and is a New Blood Emerging Art prize nominee. Informed by the heavy orthodoxy and mythology of his native Greece, Agelos' work is concerned with connection, whether that of intercity transport or the mesh of social bonds. Suspended on ropes that call to mind hanging religious figures or a subversive nod to BDSM, Agelos' 'Untitled' claims the empty space above, below and around it, in line with his interest in approaches that 'try to take over the space surrounding them', challenging the viewer to form their own connections with the piece. 

Agelos is a 2023 Freelands Foundation Painting Prize winner.