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Artist Michel Devanakis working on his painting "Midnight Goddess" in his studio

The Full Story

BIO

Michel Devanakis is a painter of questions, of what lies beyond what we see, remember, or believe. Born in Douala, Cameroon in 1962 to Greek parents, he grew up among cultures and colors that shaped his way of seeing. He studied Graphic Arts and Advertising in France and spent two decades working as a graphic designer and illustrator.

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Drawing since childhood, Michel developed his craft independently, allowing curiosity to guide his evolution. His work bridges realism, symbolism, and imagination, often reflecting on freedom, belief, and the invisible forces that shape human experience.

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After living and working in France, Bermuda, Mexico, and Canada, he settled in Greece in 1997, where he founded his own design and illustration studio. Yet the pull toward painting persisted, and in 2013 he devoted himself fully to his first and enduring passion.

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His multicultural journey continues to pulse through his work, infusing it with depth, rhythm, and balance. His paintings move between the real and the symbolic, tracing that fragile line where emotion becomes image and silence turns into color. Working primarily in oil on canvas, he blends classical technique with contemporary vision, sometimes weaving in digital textures or collage to bridge tradition and modern myth.

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His paintings are held in private collections in Greece and abroad, and he is a member of the Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece (EETE).

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ARTIST STATEMENT

I've never been good at staying in one place.

 

My work moves between five different series (Beyond, Dominium, Intima, Humanitas, and

Abstract & Experiments), not because I'm unfocused, but because human experience doesn't fit into one category. We're complicated. We contain contradictions. My work tries to reflect that.

 

These five series are where I am now, not where I'll always be. When new ideas emerge that don't fit existing categories, they create their own space. I won't force them into predetermined boxes. I follow my own flow, not 'the' flow. For me, art isn't frozen in time or trends. This freedom to shift, explore and sometimes contradict myself, is what keeps the work alive. It keeps me entertained and keeps you surprised.

 

I paint mainly in oil (and sometimes acrylics) on canvas from my studio in Athens. Each painting takes four to six weeks. I was trained in classical drawing, which grounds me, but I’m not tied to tradition. I always follow my curiosity. When an idea arrives, whether it's a cosmic vision or a critique of media or an intimate gesture, I follow it. Even if it means changing direction halfway through, or beginning something completely new.

 

Not every painting carries a “profound meaning.” When I’m drained after a demanding work, I often return to my “Abstract, Collage & Experiments” series. It’s my playground and my relief valve. This is where accidents happen, where techniques evolve, and where I remind myself not to take it all too seriously.

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If there's a thread connecting everything, it's this: I'm drawn to Boundaries. Places where things shift from one state to another. Visible to invisible. Sacred to profane. Intimate to public. Serious to playful. I paintthe thresholds. The moments of transformation.

 

That's where the interesting stuff happens.

Selected Exhibitions

·  2025

IKIGAI / Alma Mater - Athens, Greece

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·  2024

Kinesthesia / EPsilon Art Gallery, - Loutraki, Greece

·  2024

Summertime / Technohoros gallery - Athens, Greece

·  2024

Summertime / Chili Art Gallery in collaboration with Artgrid

·  2024

ARC – Art Revisited Collective: New Symbols 3 / Luminous Eye Gallery - Athens, Greece

·  2024

Behind the Masks of Utopian Joy / Chili Art Gallery - Athens, Greece

·  2024

Chianciano Biennale 2024 / Museo d'Arte di Chianciano Terme - Chianciano, Italy

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·  2023

Summertime / Luminous Eye Gallery - Athens, Greece

·  2023

State & Utopia / Luminous Eye Gallery - Athens, Greece

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·  2022

Athens Open Art / Art Number 23 - Athens, Greece

·  2022

Chianciano Biennale 2022 / Museo d'Arte di Chianciano Terme - Chianciano, Italy

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·  2021

London Art Biennale 2021 / Chelsea Old Town Hall - London, United Kingdom

·  2021

Light and Color in History / Archaeological Museum of Marathon - Marathon, Greece

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·  1987

Bermuda Artists Week / Bermuda Society of Art - Hamilton, Bermuda

Publications

  • 2024 · Circle Foundation for the Arts – Quarterly Art Review

  • 2021 · Bruxelles Art Vue – Human Body is Art

Awards & Distinctions

  • 2024 · Arts Club Chianciano Award – First Prize, Chianciano, Italy

  • 2023 · Artist of the Year Competition – Honorable Mention, Lyon, France

  • 2021 · Portrait International Juried Art Competition – First Prize, New York, USA

  • 2021 · Luxembourg Art Prize – Artistic Merit Nominee, Luxembourg

  • 2021 · London Art Biennale – Nominee, United Kingdom

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