Fotios Balas

Fotios Balas’ intricate headpieces and masks, comprised of both high and lowbrow elements sit on the boundary between fine art and haute couture. Although he follows the global de rigeur of repurposing/upcycling, he declares that fashion for him has an essence of flirtation and his relationship is purely speculative. The Athens based artist mixes together used toys, fabrics, scraps, and random materials he collects to compose works that expose minimal elements of the wearer’s face. He looks for « beauty » in the most uncertain places and he is attracted to things that have withstood the wear and tear of time and fulfilled the purpose for which they were created, altering the perception of utility, its lifespan, or its status. Utilizing LED lights, motors, movement mechanisms, and even household appliances, the pieces are intended to operate as both art objects and wearable sculptures which test the human limits.

Fotios Balas is a multidisciplinary artist. He was born in Thessaloniki and studied at the School of Fine Arts at the University of Western Macedonia. He has participated with his works in many group art exhibitions as well as in several fashion shows with the hats, masks and contemporary jewelry. He creates both in Greece and abroad. After his studies, he became a professor at Veloudakis fashion school. He lives and works in Athens.