Konstantin Kakanias | Mrs. Tependris: The Quarantine Continues
GAVLAK Palm Beach
September 16 – October 10, 2020
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GAVLAK Palm Beach is pleased to announce Mrs. Tependris: The Quarantine Continues, a solo exhibition of works on paper and ceramics by Los Angeles-based artist Konstantin Kakanias. This is the artist’s third solo presentation with Gavlak and the first at our Palm Beach location.
Kakanias began creating The Quarantine Diaries at the onset of lockdown, authoring humorous captions from the cleverly critical perspective of his iconic character, Mrs. Tependris. First exhibited at Gavlak Los Angeles as The Quarantine Diaries, the Palm Beach exhibition will feature the continued (?) series with new work featuring the iconic Mrs. Tependris. The series of social media posts, animations, and gouache works on paper offer a perspective on our present times; navigating through what should be by now a post-quarantine world. Today’s reality is quite different from the mental imagery we once had, the one of reclaimed carefree and mask-free days. We are de facto stuck within the gloomy days of the ‘new normal.’ While collectively heading towards an uncertain future, Mrs. Tependris inspires us to “travel with the mind.”
Also on view will be a small selection of works on paper from the artist’s first solo exhibition with Gavlak, pieces that have been seen within the 1990s printed or digitally published pages of T Magazine: The New York Times Style Magazine. Kakanias created over 400 drawings during his five year period with T Magazine. All works are gouache on paper, and each drawing was always physically sent to the publisher from wherever Kakanias happened to be in the world, pre-pandemic era.
In addition to the works on paper, a full ceramic dinner set, created by Kakanias will be displayed in the gallery. The dinner setting will feature ceramic plates, bowls, and platters with Kakanias’ signature style. Decorative patterns, architectural motifs, and street maps are central to the design of each piece. Although not specific to the Quarantine Series, this dinner setting speaks to the lost social camaraderie that most everyone has experienced during this period of isolation and missed connections.
Konstantin Kakanias is known for his whimsical pieces observing the decadent worlds of art, design, travel, and luxury. Through Kakanias’ playful brush and bright color palette, the accumulation of these gouache works on paper and the subject matter ranging from the extraordinary to the banal provide the viewer with a certain view of life.
Konstantin Kakanias (b. 1961, Athens, Greece) lives and works in Los Angeles. Kakanias studied fashion design at Studio Bercot in Paris. The artist has created illustrations for further publications including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Interview, Los Angeles Times, among others. He has collaborated with Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix, Christian Louboutin, Christian Dior, Libertine, Co, Swarovski, Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Barney’s New York. Kakanias has published various publications of his own, including Mrs. Tependris...Just Before the Olympic Games (Secretary for the Olympic Games of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, 2004), Mrs. Tependris: the Contemporary Years (Rizzoli, 2002), and Freedom or Death (Jane Stubbs, 1997). He has also collaborated on publications including, Frederic Malle: On Perfume Making (Angelika Books, 2012), The Bergdorf Goodman Cookbook (Laura Silverman, 2015), and Be the Wonder Woman You Can Be (DC Comics, 2008), created with Diane Von Furstenberg and including an essay by Gloria Steinem. Kakanias has exhibited at Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York; Rebecca Camhi, Athens; Jennifer Flay, Paris; Galerie Art and Public, Geneva; Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens; The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York; Benaki Museum, Athens; UC Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley; Art Basel, Switzerland; and The Armory Show, New York, among others.
For more information or for press inquiries, please contact Nicole Bennett at 561-833-5783 or nicole@gavlakgallery.com .