One to Watch
Georg Oskar Giannakoudakis
Georg Oskar Giannakoudakis is an emerging artist living in Iceland. He studied at Akureyri School of Visual Art in Iceland and will be graduating from his MFA at Bergen Academy of Art and Design in Norway in 2016.
Georg primarily paints portraits and figurative works with muted colors. He digs into the subconscious part of our minds in his artistic practice, as he believes there are many hidden sides of life, which cannot be reached through other methods. His painting process usually starts with a vague idea; he then lets this idea freely evolve into wherever his mind takes him. During the day, he collects ‘information’ that most people would deem insignificant. He then documents these experiences on his canvases.
Georg has already had several solo shows in Iceland and, in addition to selling his work to many private collectors, his work has been acquired by The Rochester Museum of Fine Arts, USA.
What are the major themes you pursue in your work?
The choice is emotional and personal…therefore each artist has something new to tell the world.
What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
Be patient my friend, be patient.
Prefer to work with music or in silence?
Silence has always been highly appreciated, but I listen to classical music often, especially if there are some sweet piano notes in the composition. I might also listen to some good metal, or electronic music. Finding what to listen to can take a long time, because if you are going to listen to music while working, then it better be perfect for you at that moment, or else you end up spending your time thinking about how irritating a song is!
If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be?
That would be Fjallamjólk 1941, which is by one of my favourite artists, Kjarval, who is an Icelandic painter.
Who are your favorite writers?
Astrid Lindgren had a huge impact on me with her stories; it helped my mind to expand when I was a child.
