From the time Filippos was a child he was a natural sculptor. Sculpting is his way of expressing his feelings about the world and the beauty that he sees in it. His latest piece 'Transfiguration' is a magnificent 2.5 meter high figure made of solid glass. Unfortunately, it wasn't at his new gallery Oracle (Jl Sanggingan, opposite Neka Museum) the day I visited him, because it was on a boat heading for Italy, where Filippos will be competing in 'The Biennale Florence'. 770 artists from 76 nations will be participating in this prestigious event. Filippos will represent his home country Greece.
The sculpture is an abstract form of the human body, which represents the opening of the seven chakras. At its back is a teak wood ladder with seven steps which symbolize the 'Ladder of Jacob'. At the top of the figure is the crown chakra, which is made of a green obsidian disk that Filippos found in Sumatra. Inside the Obsidian stone are one thousand lotus petals carved into silver inlaid with Zirconium stones. Filippos has lived a relatively reclusive life in Sayan, and only recently decided that it was time to bring his art to the public, so he opened his gallery, Oracle in Ubud. It is not just a gallery that sells sculptures: it is a place of prophecy – a place where people can meet, explained Filippos. He wanted to create a space that was truly unique and would offer other people a new vision.
On the second floor is the seat of the Oracle – an impressive concrete structure built in a Grecian style with a striking carving of a doorway into the fifth dimension that was inspired by the indians of Mexico. The centerpiece is a magic wheel: a shaman disk from Siberia that consists of various stones and crystals in a circular design. "I wanted to find a place to create an oracle.
My sculptures aren't just sculptures; every piece is part of this oracle. If somebody is buying a piece they aren't just buying a sculpture, they are also buying a piece of the oracle." Filippos feels that he has a lot to give, but you have to find a way for people to listen to the oracle. "The real answers are coming from inside you, so the oracle's purpose is to get the person to reflect back and listen to oneself. When you are vulnerable and open up, you can see clearly what is going on." Some would say that Filippos is on the edge of genius with his art.
As I studied several of his sculptures in Oracle, I felt moved by the mastery and beauty of his work. Clearly evident are influences of Rodin and Michealangelo. His masterpiece, 'The Journey of the Soul,' has been featured in many publications. It is carved out of a massive log from Tiger wood into the shape of a spiral cone. Inside the cone are a man and a woman who look as though they are rising up from the vortex. On the outside of the cone are many symbols that tell the journey of the soul. "I used all my knowledge of ancient civilization to tell the story of the soul's evolution. There are seven steps of this evolution."
The sculpture has many symbols from Egypt, Greece, Tibet and Toth carved around the outside of the cone. The five major religions are also represented: Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Filippos envisions these religions uniting as one. Most of his pieces take a year or more to create. It is no surprise that he sells his sculptures for thousands of dollars.
But he says it's not just about the money; he wants the right people to buy his sculptures – people who really love and understand what his work represents. For Filippos, a true artist is always striving to achieve greatness in his or her work.
When I asked him whether he felt he had gained this stature he replied, "Yes, I feel that I am a great artist." It has taken him half a lifetime to become the artist he has always dreamed of being, but Filippos sees his life as a continuing process of opening up. The best is yet to come.
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