Peter Hristoff: Heroes

The exhibition is loosely inspired by the themes found in Homer’s “Odyssey” – homecoming, identity, exile and disguise. Combing references from Classical antiquity, current events, popular and military culture, the artist asks the question: “Who are our Heroes?”. Peter Hristoff (b. 1958, Istanbul) shows recent paintings, works on paper and rugs.

The artist has prepared the following statement about his work:

“My recent works are constructed similarly to a theatrical set. The narrative I am implying is the play, the picture plane is the stage. It is a surface on which various characters interact—appear, disappear and reappear—to reveal the subjects and ideas I am interested in: identity, ego, power, archetypes, religion, violence. The techniques I use to construct these images are methodical and time consuming. References are from live models, museum and art historical studies and popular culture. The phallo-centricity of the work both celebrates and ridicules the male ego. Images of classical Greco-Roman sculptures symbolize veterans of battles; silhouetted Porn stars with missing limbs replicate the statues of ancient heroes. I am interested in (and disheartened by) current events that repeat frightening historic scenarios. I will often pose live models and have them act-out the themes I am investigating. Photographs and drawings from these sessions are then translated into the stencils I carefully layer. Like the artistic predecessors I admire most, I am trying to make sense of this mortal coil, this slippery voyage we are on, together and alone.”