We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jim Gigurtsis. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Jim , thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
One afternoon I was in my studio working on a portrait. The phone rang and startled me and the paint brush flew out of my hand and hit the canvas, smudging the portrait. I answered the phone while internally fuming at the mess I just made. After a phone conversation with a client enquiring on a commissioned portrait, I went back to the painting I just messed up. I stared at it, trying to work out how to fix the mess and decided it was too late in the day, I was tired, and so I decided to go home and deal with this problem the next day.
The next morning I was back at the studio and picked up a cloth and a brush to start fixing the smudged canvas. I looked at it for a while and started seeing a shape that wasn’t there before. A shape that gave the portrait character, depth. I decided to leave it and work the shape into a more distinct feature. I really liked the result and I was glad that I didn’t fix the day before.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a multi-discipline artist. My specialty is portraiture and figurative work. In painting my preferred medium is oils.
I see the human form as a site of psychological and existential inquiry. Through a process of painterly deconstruction, I evokes themes of alienation, trauma, and corporeal vulnerability. Figures are rendered in states of flux—distorted yet deeply expressive, inviting viewers into a liminal space between representation and abstraction. Currently I am working on a number of triptychs both portraits and figurative.
I also use video and installation art as a move away from the two dimensional canvas and complement the viewer’s experience by engaging their auditory and tactical senses more fully.
My work is internationally known and found in private and public collections in the US, UK, Norway, Canada and Greece.
In addition to painting, I love to teach art. I have taught art classes and facilitated many workshops at various institutions including the Morean Arts Center in St Petersburg. I do demonstrations of portrait painting and also give private lessons.
As a supporter of the arts in the community, I give free lessons to individuals and groups that cannot afford it; and support worthwhile non-profit organizations, such as Suncoast Voices for Children and Big Brother Big Sister.
I am based in Seminole, Pinellas County and my studio is in Largo.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
My watershed moment was when I was looking at a series of paintings by the artist Rene Magritte. I came across the painting “The treachery of Images, Ceci n’est pas une pipe”; which translates to ‘This is not a pipe’.
Magritte is quoted as saying: “The famous pipe. How people reproached me for it! And yet, could you stuff my pipe? No, it’s just a representation, is it not? So if I had written on my picture “This is a pipe”, I’d have been lying!”
The painting and the quote gave me “permission” to move away from painting realistic portraits. My painting can never be the person. I am interested in capturing the essence of the person not the exact likeness. I represent epimorphosis and decay, the cycle of life.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
The key message I would tell my younger self is: “Don’t be afraid to fail!”
Fear of failure constraints creativity and makes your work predictable. Mistakes are part of the process, learn and see where the journey takes you. Failure encourages the risk taking necessary to innovate and try new approaches.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I am committed to continuing my art journey. It’s not a straight line, there are blind alleys. There are disappointments and happy moments. I am committed to exploring the figure further.
The figures in my paintings are not portraits in the traditional sense, but manifestations of inner states—fragmented, exposed, and deeply human. Each piece invites confrontation and contemplation, challenging viewers to reflect on the hidden facets of identity, suffering, and desire. An uncompromising exploration of the human condition.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace in my studio whilst working and experimenting with new ideas and techniques. Some of the time I am not sure what I am doing. After years of this uncertainty, I have learned to embrace it and try to enjoy the process. Doesn’t always work, but time seems to fly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gigurtsis.com
- Instagram: @jimgigurtsis
- Facebook: @jimgigurtsis
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqIW2Ds3dIgnNhe9Wtg3dmQ
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
