Born of a unique sense of expression and storytelling George Raftopoulos’ work harnesses vivid colour and dynamic mark-making to recall the artist’s zest for life. His is an abstracted, allegorical language, informed by the journeys and personal mythologies that shape his experiences. Time spent in New York has served to feed the content of this series - the sound of car horns and police sirens screeching, the swift sweep of yellow as a cab zips by, tall grey buildings interrupted by green pauses of parkland, the flashing colours of the lights of Times Square. Such sights, sounds and vistas result in scenes absorbed at high speed.

From his foundation of painterly abstracted landscapes figures emerge in these new works. Sometimes human or part animal, these characters become increasingly present, providing the viewer with a recognisable point of reference. In some pieces these characters dominate the content and meaning of the paintings, in others it is
the artists’ mark that takes main stage. Greek mythology has long been a point of reference for the artists’ work and this still remains true. However, as a result of the figurative becoming increasingly prominent, Raftopoulos has extended his oeuvre to encapsulate stories that evoke direct experiences while allowing the viewer to immerse themselves in the narratives created through imagery.
His signature expressive brushstrokes remain imbued in these canvases, informed in this instance by his recent experiences - the people met, the places seen - to inimitably reveal his vision.

George has exhibited extensivley within Australia and in France, Hong Kong, New York. His works are included in the collections of the Gold Coast Art Gallery, Queensland; University of Western Sydney, Sydney; The Art Trust, Sydney and Melbourne; ABN AMRO, Sydney as well as many other corporate and private collections in Australia and overseas.

Link to excerpts from essay by Peter Pinson
Link to Belle Magazine article