The idiomatic universe of the works by Ilias Kasselas is composed of forms and symbols inscribed in the realms of the fantastical, the transcendental, and the nightmarish, inseparably intertwined. Magical elements, theurgy, alchemy, primordial symbols reminiscent of the way they appear in ancient religions, proclaim their existence through a contemporary composition and serve as a language of rephrasing profound existential matters in the hands of the visual creator. The familiar symbols used are primal, while the less known ones result from the application of a semi-automatic script, born from a dialogue between the unconscious and the conventions of design and composition.

Although the works appear to consist of episodes, they are not narrative in nature. Each work is a entity that can be likened to a piece of classical music. While it may be comprised of musical phrases, reading them on the score does not equate to the experience of listening to the symphonic work performed by an orchestra! Each work is a self-contained unity. An unexpressed ocean of images spills forth whenever the artist sets out to capture one of his works. Both the themes and symbols, the individual compositions and images that collectively constitute these intricate, imaginative, and densely conceptual works emerge from a chaotic imaginative reservoir that balances between the collective unconscious and primordial instincts, fears, and dialogues between humanity, the generative cause, and the universe.

The works are in a symbiotic relationship with their titles. These titles imbue the work with a disposition through a language that touches upon automatic writing. The titles are not necessarily descriptive, nor do they account for the meanings of the work. They simply provide a glimpse of the framework within which the symbols, actions, episodes, and overall forms are situated, and in a situational disposition, the entirety of the work’s unfolding. In a sense that diverges significantly from the usual role of titles in individual works of art, the titles are an integral part of them.

The gestural manner of Ilias Kasselas is difficult to classify within a specific genre, style, or type of art. With characteristics resembling magical realism but morphology far from realistic, coupled with surreal disposition and at times representation, albeit with means that typically defy surrealism, alongside linear and simultaneous Pop Art elements, carrying both weighty and universally human meanings, and with a clear flirtation with the reuse movement in his creations, although his works are paintings rather than constructions as prescribed by this movement, his creations captivate, puzzle, and stand out for their originality and the consistency of their style.

He himself acknowledges influences from Austin Osman Spare, Hieronymus Bosch, and Vincent van Gogh. Those who have studied the works of the first two can easily discern the influence in terms of themes and artistic treatment of the former and the function of forms and symbols in the latter. While the reference to Van Gogh might seem surprising, the visual artist responds that he is intrigued by the notion of frozen movement associated with him. He states, “the colours and shapes remind one more of matter seeking a greater purpose, another common denominator towards something higher.”

Certain paintings by Ilias Kasselas engage in a dialogue with philosophical currents or pivotal phases in the evolution of Western Esotericism and Ancient Religions’ narratives. Nevertheless, he does not conform within these frameworks; he converses with them. For example, “The Second Slaughter of the God-Sun” plays with the Mithraic sacrifice of the bull, on the level of impression, before or after the knife on the material level. “The Second Birth of Sophia” converses with Gnostic cosmogony, specifically Sophia, considered the feminine aspect of God and the Holy Bride of Jesus, the mother of matter and thus of humanity. She longs for the obliteration of matter to find her place again. Therefore, her second birth is a commentary on the cyclical nature of birth, death, and resurrection in Nature, synonymous with IAO. According to the artist, “The Unanimous Moment” also describes – artistically – the feeling of painterly completion, which aligns with mystagogic fulfillment. This is akin to the way William Blake equated art with visionary imagination as a generative process of cosmogony. “The Unanimous Moment,” in his words, “…also constitutes a beautiful description of a magical theurgic rite which, after efforts and hardships, finally operates as it should. Technically, the work reflects the general modus operandi of modern art from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, the Cubist momentum, not so much stylistically but as a basis for contemplation on the relationship between space-time and beyond: I want to introduce the 5th dimension into the game, and the 5th dimension possibly could be imagination.”

The doctrine “there is no parthenogenesis in art” pales when one closely studies the works of Ilias Kasselas because, without being negated, it loses its significance as an observation. The desired aspect is not the originality, as the meaning has been formulated many times: the suspicion of a new signified is what captivates, providing primary nourishment for thought that cannot be ignored.

–Paris Kapralos
Art Curator

[curatorial note text for the solo exhibition of Ilias Kasselas
“The Unanimous Moment”, “Technochoros” Gallery, Athens, 2022]