METAPOLKA

Andro Semeiko

3 November 2020 - 28 February 2021

Simulacra Gallery

The works shown in this exhibition were made during recent months of self-isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic. In his new paintings Andro Semeiko commences a self-reflective and methodical analysis, which can be seen as a critical reaction to the world today as well as the artist’s own practice.

In the group of paintings exhibited in Gallery 1, we can see Semeiko’s interest in calligraphy and doodling come together to create portraits. In these works, vivid and celebratory bright colours are juxtaposed with erratic white and grey lines that make up see-through ghostly faces. The work grows eerie but at the same time acquires a touch of humour when one learns they are partly inspired by the images of the UK’s top politicians.

In Gallery 2 and the Large Hall we can see a second group of works, which go back to Semeiko’s interest in borrowing motifs of armour from 18th Century British and Flemish baroque portraits. The armour and metal in Semeiko’s work stand for misguided masculine power. In the current time of adversity, it is particularly apparent that the balance of power in the world has not, yet, undergone a much-needed change and old-school stereotypes are very much present in and around us. An ironic, autobiographical and humorous take on the above permeates these works, while at the same time posing questions in a discourse of post-digital painting.

Simulacra Gallery is a virtual gallery created by London-based architect Paola Fuentes Groetaers. It will host a programme of further shows in the coming year. For more information about the current paintings please send your message below.