Δέντρα

000418 Nikos Yialouris, Trees, 1971, Indian ink on paper, 111 × 80 cm

The motif of the tree became an autonomous theme in Yialouris's art after 1980. During that period, he conceived the theme of bare trunks emerging against the black sky, in front of the full moon. It is a scheme that combines the melancholic feeling of the night with the tragic motif of dried-out trunks. The use of Chinese ink and reed pen reveals the influence of Chinese painting on the Greek artist, although he never renounced the ever-present expressionism in his work. In this particular composition, the trees are placed side by side. This arrangement emphasizes the vertical axis and evokes a sense of vastness. The artist’s invention—the stark contrast between the black sky and the white trees—originates from his work in printmaking, but here offers intensity to the painting.