Jimmy James Kouratoras is an Auckland-based artist whose work depicts a rich, almost decadent examination of contemporary culture.
His artwork has received critical acclaim both at home and internationally, winning the People’s Choice Award at the 2016 Brisbane Contemporary Art Prize and was selected as a finalist for the National Contemporary Art Prize in 2017.
Kouratoras’ work is heavily influenced by his Maori and Greek heritage – two different cosmologies bound together to create works that beautifully reflect narratives of whakapapa. Over the past 25 years, the artist has developed his unique style of layering texture and imagery along with using vivid pop colour combinations, representing the connections between the past, present, and future.
He describes his work as “much more than a hybrid or fusion, but a deliberate layering of story and truth that will reveal itself to the beholder through a series of vibrant textures”.
His passion for finding equilibrium between mind, body, and spirit contributes to his natural ability to create works that so beautifully radiate Aroha.