Page 2 - Maxim Painting Catalog

Foreword
Fr. Stamatis Skliris
Bishop Maksim has entered the space of profound art. He is authentic and has self-confidence and should no longer follow anyone except his instinct. One can see that it is constantly evolv- ing and that, after his first exhibition in Athens (2021), it will be followed by a series of his new exhibitions.
The manner in which he places the expressive characters in their relative immobility reveals their internal movement, like in The Brothers Karamazov.
Almost all his shining figures emerge from a dark background that symbolizes the existential night and void. The painting at- tempts to apply the technique of forming the subject through several layered chromatic sequences, from relatively dark layers to successively lighter ones. It could be described as overpainting rather than the more traditional approach of defining the com- position with the underpainting. By painting the light rather than the shadow, the lines of the subject become visible from the inside. The warm and dark outline of the figure remains equal to the background. All this leads to the application of the final bright accents.
The original attitude and direction of the details of the physi- ognomy of the characters from the latest works of Bishop Maxim give a particular breath and stand out from his previous works. He is careful not to overextend his colors, which would weaken the drawing line, which speaks for itself and is recognizable from a distance.
Bishop Maxim has found remarkable and creative ways of re- lating Byzantine art to the culture of our times.