“Hero” (The Myth of The Golden Bird) is Greek artist FIKOS newest mural, painted in Almetyevsk, Russia for “The Tales of Golden Apples” project curated by the Public Art Program in Almetyevsk.
“The Myth of The Golden Bird” depicts the image of a man fighting a giant snake. At his feet we see a golden bird. The mural shows FIKOS interpretation of the Tatar myth of the dragon slayer who kills the dragon in order to save the princess, a tale, popular in traditional stories from around the world.”
As usual in his work and even the topics are not taken from Christian art and of Greek history and mythology, the style is always iconographic. According to Fikos he started studying Byzantine art at a pretty early age and after a while he started collaborating professionally with his mentor for 5 years painting murals in Orthodox churches and at the same time developing his own style. The result is a wonderful hybrid style that combines the best of all the styles he has researched.
When painting, FIKOS values the experience of looking deeper into other cultures than his own, and finding out, that in the end, they are very similar.
“It’s so interesting painting around the world and not just imposing your style everywhere, but combine it with the local traditions. That’s not only challenging but didactic. Studying local myths gives you the opportunity to look deeper into different cultures and realize we are all the same. Human beings with imagination, fears, a strong social instinct and creativity, but also limits.
All the above create faith to something bigger than us. Faith to a Hero who will save us from evil, faith to abstract values like Justice and Rights, faith to Science, faith to God. Deep inside, it’s the same need we all share.” – FIKOS
About the artist
Born in Athens in 1987, where he still lives, Fikos started painting at a young age. When he was only 13, he began studying Byzantine painting under the guidance of George Kordis, with whom he also collaborated professionally for 5 years painting murals in Orthodox churches, while at the same time developing his own personal painting style.
In terms of technique, his portable icons are painted using egg tempera on handmade Japanese paper which is glued onto wood, and his murals are painted in acrylics.
Having a background as a graffiti artist and an iconographer in Orthodox Christian churches, Fikos is continuing his developmental journey by painting murals in public places. The value of these works is exceptional, because it is the first time that the monumental byzantine technique meets a contemporary movement such as street art.
The themes of his murals emanate from the Orthodox Christian tradition and ancient Greek mythology respectively and they are related to the places where they are presented, but also didactic.
Fikos’ painting is not just another artist’s “self-expression”, but a social event a true “creation” (“demiurgia” = demos “citizens” + ergon “work” – a work for the citizens-society
More about FIKOS on website | instagram | facebook
Author: Fran
Founder and editor of Urbanite. Street Art lover who after the finishing her MA thesis on the Mexican and Norwegian muralist movement in the 1920-50s, developed a fascination for street art and graffiti that eventually led to collaborations with different art blogs, including the creation of this one.
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