Nico Giannoulis

My practice explores the intersection of sexuality and divinity, using chiaroscuro both as a technique and a conceptual lens, to navigate the threshold between the sacred and the profane. Through drawing, painting, etching, photography, ceramics, poetry and installations, I examine how these forces coexist, merge, and evolve. At the core of my work is an investigation of binaries: light and shadow, revealed and hidden, past and present, intimacy and transcendence. Drawing inspiration from mythology, religion, queer poetry, contemporary theory and personal reflection, I challenge notions of what is considered sacred or profane and how these classifications shift.

In my current drawing and etching work, I reimagine the bedroom and lovers of C.P. Cavafy. His poetry becomes both subject and material, with verses embedded in charcoal drawings of male figures that evoke both sensuality and solitude. These works confront how cultural discomfort continues to shape the representation of male nudity and desire. The physicality of drawing with charcoal creates a tactile connection between material and surface, echoing the body’s role in my work as a vessel for both human and divine experience.

In my photography, close-ups of metallic pipes...

BA Fine Art: Painting, University Of the Arts London (UAL), UK, 2022-2025
Life Drawing, Royal Drawing School, UK, 2022
Foundation, London Fine Art Studios, 2019

Atheras Project August 2025
Group Exhibition, Armenistis, Ikaria, Greece

Anchor Lines June 2025
Group Exhibition, UAL Chelsea, London

UAL Graduate Show June 2025
UAL Wilson Road, Camberwell, London

Ex-Posed May 2025
Open studios, Wimbledon Studios, London

Anchor Lines April-May 2025
Group Exhibition, UAL Library Chelsea, London

Unveiling March 2025
Group Exhibition, UAL SU Space High Holborn, London

What Now January 2025
Group Exhibition, Southwark Park Galleries, London

Open Tour July 2024
Group Exhibition, Accademia di Belle Arti, Bologna

La trave 'e Nel' Occhio di Chi Guarda May 2024
Open studios, Wimbledon Studios, London

Memory Palace Feb 2024
Group Exhibition, Cookhouse Gallery, London

Funhead Jun 2023
Group Exhibition, UAL London

Force Majeure Jun 2023
Group Exhibition, UAL Chelsea, London

Hermes: Greek Gods and Queerness May 2023
Solo Exhibition, Babel Art House, London

Before Now, After Then Mar 2023
Group Exhibition, Barge House, London

Winter Show Dec 2022
Group Exhibition, UAL, London

Unheard Voices Oct 2022
Group Exhibition, Spiral Galleries, London