John Kokkinos

1953 Born Athens, Greece.

1963 Immigrated to Canada.

1973 Became Canadian citizen.
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From 1973 to 1975, John Kokkinos studied fine arts at Central Technical School Post Secondary Special Art Program. He received the Herbert L. Rous Memorial Scholarship.

Since 1977, John Kokkinos presents his works in different Canadian art galleries and museums.
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His work has been rewarded several times upon art fairs.
” The subject of wireless communications technology fascinated me. I imagine the billions of daily transmissions as various shapes, sizes and speeds making a crowd of busy, mind-boggling patterns in every possible layer of global air space. If we were able to dissect the air and see it all, is the starting point of my painting.

A lot of my inspiration comes from popular culture found in fabric designs, advertising design, interior spaces, architecture, television and the web. All this merges to express our culture.

My other inspiration comes from the art of ancient cultures, the shapes and repeated patterns seem to have a strong visual foundation. The old and new cultures have given me the ability to express the subject of wireless technology.

I constantly strive for change in my painting.

I use a combination of various media, watercolor, stain, limestone, acrylic, chalk, crayons, ink and rice paper, to give me a large range of expression. I begin by preparing visceral paintings on other surfaces. Once the paint is dry it‘s lifted and collaged on to the canvas. In a similar way I use rice paper by pouring liquid media. Once dry the paper is collaged on to the canvas with acrylic media.

My next step is to prepare heavy body paint. This is done by grinding limestone, chalk, and crayons, mixed with acrylic paints. The heavy body paint allows me to create three dimensional shapes and placed on to the canvas. Later on more paint is applied until the painting reaches a visual balance.
I use alternative tools and many times I build implements in order to move the paint uniquely. This evolving process has great appeal for me, and results in something unexpected in the viewing experience of my work. “