Michel Devanakis
Painter | Greece
![](https://artgrid.gr/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/md.jpg)
Michel Devanakis is a visual artist whose primary medium of expression is painting. Born in Douala, Cameroon, in 1962 to Greek parents, he studied Graphic Arts and Advertising in France. Extensive private art studies, wherever he found himself to reside, complemented hisinitial studies: he lived and worked in various countries (including France, Bermuda, Mexico, Canada) before settling in Greece in 1997, where he started his own graphic design and illustration company. In 2001, he created “filaki.gr,” the largest humorous website in Greece, centered around illustrated greeting cards designed with other artists. His first group exhibition was in Bermuda in 1987, when he was 25. In 2013, he decided to gradually leave his other activities and dedicate himself full-time to painting. His multicultural background is the main driving force behind his creative approach. He has showcased his work in exhibitions in Greece and abroad, with pieces in private collections in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. Today, he solely supports himself through his artistic activities. Michalis is a member of the Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece (EETE) and has been collaborating with the visual artist collective ARC – Art Revisited Collective since March 2024.
STATEMENT
I create art to express myself, to present my own perspective of the world, and to share my moments of surprise, euphoria, happiness, and sometimes the tireless feeling that there is always something new to discover. Although I am characterized by contemporary realism, I am often unpredictable as I like to experiment with new techniques or more abstract approaches.Beyond mere depiction, I strive for my works to tell a story or provoke contemplation. Sketches and studies are first made on the computer and then transferred onto the canvas. My works are human-centric, as I am primarily drawn to the emotional. Although I have created landscapes in the past, they are not my preference. I admire and love the works of many artists with very different styles, tendencies, and cultures. I couldn’t say I have a specific influence other than being mainly attracted to realism. Being “labeled” makes me feel uncomfortable because, by doing so, the world would expect me to create again and again in a specific way. I leave the door open to whatever inspires me. Curious by nature, I nurture my creativity by exploring various paths. Realism, impressionism, surrealism, collages, or abstract realism – I go with my flow without being attached to following “the” flow. For me, art is not fixed in time or trends. I cherish and protect this freedom and spontaneity that allow me to evolve while having fun and perhaps, at the same time, surprising.
AT A GLANCE
Genre: Painting
Medium: Oil on canvas, Acrylics on canvas, Painting on wood
Style: Realism and subgenres (including Magical Realism, Surrealism, Neorealism)
Themes: Human-centric
Workshop: Marathon, Attica, Greece
Associations: EETE (Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece)
Price Range: €800 – 8000
International Scale:
EMERGING | HIGH-POTENTIAL | MID-CAREER | ESTABLISHED
RECENT ARTWORKS
![](https://artgrid.gr/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/32-1.jpg)
![](https://artgrid.gr/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/26.jpg)
![](https://artgrid.gr/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/15.jpg)
CAREER LANDMARKS
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
(selection)
ARC – Art Revisited Collective: New Symbols 3, conceived & curated by Paris Kapralos & Jason Kairofilas, Luminous Eye Gallery, Athens 2024
Behind the Masks of Utopian Joy, conceived & curated by Paris Kapralos, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2024
Summertime, curated by Paris Kapralos and Vera Katranidou, Luminous Eye Gallery, Athens 2023
State & Utopia, curated by Paris Kapralos, Luminous Eye Gallery, Athens 2023
Athens Open Art, organized by Art Number 23, Athens 2022
Light and Color in History, organized by Marathon Art Festival, International Marathon Centre of Visual Arts, Archaeological Museum of Marathon, Marathon Attica 2021
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
(selection)
Chianciano Biennale 2024, organized by the International Confederation of Art Critics, Museo d’Arte di Chianciano Terme, Clancianum Galleries, Tuscany, Italy, 2024
Chianciano Biennale 2022, organized by the International Confederation of Art Critics, Museo d’Arte di Chianciano Terme, Clancianum Galleries, Tuscany, Italy, 2022
London Art Biennale 2021, organized by the International Confederation of Art Critics, London, 2021
Bermuda Artists Week, organized by the Bermuda Society of Arts, Hamilton-Bermuda, 1987
AWARDS
(selection)
Chianciano Biennale 2024: Arts Club Chianciano Award, Tuscany, Italy, September 2024
ARTWORKS
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- Out of Stock
- ARC -Art Revisited Collective, Michel Devanakis
Tootsies
- €1,000.00
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- Out of Stock
- ARC -Art Revisited Collective, Michel Devanakis
A Sole Perspective
- €1,000.00
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