"Cults of Personality" by Panos Balomenos - 20 December 2024

"Cults of Personality" and exhibition by Panos Balomenos
Friday 20 December 2024 - 2 February 2025

Portraiture has long been a medium for constructing identity—a mirror where society's desires and ideals are reflected. Yet, these mirrors often demand conformity, perpetuating norms, conservatism, and structures of power. What if, instead, those mirrors were shattered or boldly painted over?

In Cults of Personality, artist Panos Balomenos challenges the conventions of portrait painting, offering an evocative and radical alternative: an iconography of love—for the untamed, the authentic, and the unapologetically true self.

Balomenos’ work celebrates heroines whose lives exemplify charisma, solidarity, and defiance. Through his portraits, he elevates individuals often excluded or misrepresented in the arts, dismantling traditional artistic canons to center those who embody resistance and courage. His paintings provoke viewers to move beyond mere aesthetic admiration, urging deeper reflection on representation, visibility, and belonging.

Rendered in a strikingly realistic style, Balomenos’ portraits capture not only the physical presence of his subjects but also the weight of their lived struggles. His subjects — such as Thekla Tselepi, Eleni Mylona, Ioanna Kourtovik or Ivi Keserli among others — are individuals at the vanguard of intersectional battles against fascism and patriarchy. These are not static icons but active participants in movements fueled by personal courage, humor, and resourcefulness.

The exhibition 'Cults of Personality' at [SiC] weaves connections between these figures, situating them within broader social and political contexts. By doing so, Balomenos paints more than faces; he illustrates the networks of solidarity that sustain resistance and build collective hope. Cults of Personality invites artists, enthusiasts, and collectors alike to re-imagine portraiture—not as a reinforcement of power but as a vibrant medium for storytelling, empathy, and transformation.

Join us in exploring this powerful collection of works that redefine identity, community, and the role of art in shaping a more just and inclusive world. - Giorgos Papadopoulos.

With special thanks to Kone Foundation.


Bio: Panos Balomenos (1976 Athens, Greece) lives and works between Helsinki, Finland and Athens, Greece.
https://www.panosbalomenos.com/
Instagram: @panosbalomenos

Panos Balomenos graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera in Milan, Italy (Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera), Städelschule in Frankfurt, Germany and the Academy of Fine Arts of Helsinki, Kuvataideakatemia, where he got his MFA.

His work has been shown in galleries, museums and festivals in Italy, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Serbia, Canada, USA and Denmark.

In his work he uses watercolour painting, installation and performance. He combines personal narratives, historical events and fiction to explore subjects such as power relations, sexuality and politics.

His watercolour pieces are often carried out as series. Each painting contains several layers, stories and references.
He believes that in our contemporary world, where our lives and habits are scarily digitalised, painting is a unique tool left intact and suitable for engagement, social criticism and reflection.

- Photo of Panos Balomenos (next to his portraits), credit: Joël Petzold, 2023.
- Painting Panos Balomenos: 'Dimitra Galani next to the American Base at Ellinikó', 2024. Watercolours and pencil on paper. 112 x 76cm