Vlastaras Vassilis (1963)

He was born in 1963 in Argos. He attended the Istituto Universitario di Architetura di Venezia (1981-84), and then he studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts, under T. Patraskidis (1991-1996). He also attended photography courses at AKTO Art & Design College (1984), graphic design and animation courses at the Athens Technical Education Institute (TEI, 1991), and film direction at the Eugenia Hatzikou Film School (1990-93). In 2000 he pursued an MSc in Interactive Multimedia (University of Westminster, London) and in 2002, he gained an MFA in Planning-Space-Culture (Athens National Technical University, School of Architecture).
He participates in group exhibitions since 1993 and in 1997 he presented his first solo exhibition (Paratiritis gallery, Thessaloniki).
His recent work mainly includes large-scale installations, in which he experiments with various media such as painting, drawing, photography, sound, as well as installations, videos, performances and interactive presentations. He examines the relationship between artistic creation and urban space, as well as between the personal and the social approach towards modern life's challenges. He points out the complex and often contradictory aspect of things, and he explores notions such as the ephemeral, loss, history and oblivion through quite eloquent symbolic images. Although there is often a dark side on his subjects, his expressive idiom is lightened through his subtle irony and vivid colours, making his work more accessible.
He has taught graphic design at the TEI of Athens (1996-2007) and painting at ASFA since 1999. Since 2007 he is lecturer the 6th Painting Studio of ASFA.
He is a member of PLATFORMES since 2002, a collective of art professionals ranging from visual artists to film makers and musicians. Since 2006 he is the principal coordinator of the ASFA educational project Utopia (Rethymno, Crete) which brings together new artists with well-established ones, theorists and scientists each year.
He has presented solo exhibitions in Athens and Thessaloniki and has participated in several group exhibitions in Greece and abroad. He has also worked as a graphic designer in newspapers and magazines and has organized and curated art events.