Savvas Demetriou

Savvas Demetriou is a contemporary artist originally from Cyprus. His personal artistic research, conducted in the field of photography and visual communication, can be traced back to the current of abstract expressionism. Savvas' artworks do not accurately reproduce reality, they do not faithfully represent the physical world, but, through a process of subject abstraction, they emphasize the emotions, feelings and sensations felt by the artist. Self-expressive emotional intensity is, therefore, conjugated with anti-figurative aesthetics; the individuality of the artist has a central role and is manifested through an abstract and personal visual language, which has no representative or descriptive purpose. The innovative photographic technique is based on improvisation and spontaneity, there is nothing established or constructed first; this gives the artworks immediacy and freshness. Savvas' photographs capture shapes and colors, focusing on the repetition-variation of textures and motifs, communicating movement and energy to the observer. Objects and specific scenes are transfigured and rendered unrecognizable by their abstract interpretation. In "Vertical Moods'', created in 2022, some vertical elements alternate, overlapping and almost merging with each other; the shapes, not perfectly defined, are immersed in a palpable atmosphere, a sort of fog that slowly rises, giving not only depth but also a magical and supernatural aura to the whole scene; the latter is amplified by the color palette in shades of blue. The same setting with vertical bands returns in "Forest Moods'', dated 2019. Here the ascending motif scans the space along its entire length, without any interruption, giving the work greater rhythm. The trunks of the trees lose their roughness and knotty, turning into a bundle of thin and smooth filaments.