Rebecca Camhi gallery is hosting one of its most ambitious projects to date:a retrospective exhibition of the artist Konstantin Kakanias, who has collaborated with the gallery for 30 years.

“Divine Personality Disorder” highlights the multifaceted work of Kakanias, produced mainly in Greece and California, where he blends his life as a globally peripatetic artist with his Greek roots.

The exhibition will feature a selection of paintings, magazine illustrations, sculptures, photographs and sound recordings produced from 1996 to the present day. The subjects range from deep psychological childhood trauma to sexuality, consumerism, religion, social class, addiction, despair and humour through dramatic paintings or fun illustrations.

His versatile themes oscillate between disturbing imaginary narratives and glamorous caricatures. Through the exacting lens of his muse and alter-ego, Mrs. Tependris, Kakanias explores Greek identity, cosmopolitanism and the illusion of an elitist lifestyle. The exhibition will also include photos in which the artist cross-dresses to embody characters, whether heroic or roguish—often both.

A specially designed maze at the gallery will lead visitors into the darker side of the artist’s universe, with works inspired by antiquity and classical painting, imbued with a personal mythology.  It will also include works from the 2009 exhibition “Daniel,” connected to the time Kakanias spent on Mount Athos, the monastic peninsula in northern Greece. During this period, his interactions with the monks intertwined with introspective reflections on his childhood. In these works, dreams and nightmares seem to spring from the canvas. These memories are metaphorically represented by scenes set in deep, dark forests, at the bottom of the sea, or under starry nights, transporting us to levels of deep consciousness and a mystical universe.

The exhibition continues with joyful sarcasm through the old and new adventures of the inimitable Mrs. Tependris, including works from the “Athens 2004 Olympic Games” exhibition, and “That’s Mine Bitch. Do Not Touch. Back Off” (2018), as well as her other obsessions such as quarantine diaries, fashion fads and plastic surgery.

Since its launch in 2019,the artist has created illustrations for Greek Vogue’s “Last Page,” where he presents a couture-clad Mrs. Tependris in situations that re-examine Greek civilization through the ages. Additionally, the exhibition will feature illustrations created for The New York Times and Town & Country magazines.

Kakanias will also present two limited-edition sound recordings from 2002, recorded while while driving along California’s 101 freeway and produced in collaboration with artist Marina Rosenfeld. Only 40 vinyl copies were pressed.

With a critical eye, Kakanias’ work strives to achieve catharsis in response to the contemporary human condition. He states, “Whether through comedy or satire, and with complete freedom, my work is a constant search for the balance between the extremely superficial world and my innermost self, in order to reveal my pathos and obsessions.”

Exhibition curation: Konstantin Kakanias, Rebecca Camhi

Exhibition design: AKA-APOSTOLOU COLAKIS ARCHITECTS