Artist Highlight: Giorgiko

From feelings of joy and hope to confusion and uncertainty, the work of artist duo Giorgiko explores the struggles of the human condition through their cast of childlike characters. 

 

Darren and Trisha, the visionaries behind the Giorgiko moniker first met as students attending ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. From that moment on the rest was history, as they eventually came together to combine their individual talents and create work that not only tells a story, but reflects their deeper values and perspectives on the world around them.

 

  

Coming from different backgrounds, Darren’s in street art and Trisha’s in illustration, they have been able create a collaborative process that utilizes each of their individual strengths. The process typically begins with a passing thought or idea that Trisha translates into an illustration, using their signature childlike characters as the vessels to tell their story. Then, Darren steps in, bringing the illustration to life with paint. Though figuring out how to compliment eachothers process took time, they eventually evolved and found a symbiotic practice that has led them to where they are now. 

 

It was this shift that beckoned them to create the moniker Giorgiko. Originally a combination of their middle names, through research the moniker grew into something with a much deeper meaning for both of them. The first half of the name comes from the greek word for "earth-worker" while the ending -ko takes its meaning from the Japanese suffix for child. The combination of these ideas encapsulated perfectly the themes and the imagery of their work, with adolescent figures exploring and making their way through rugged landscapes and unfamiliar terrain, often with a lingering sense of hope.

 

Through their work they have explored everything from the ideas of finding home in a broken world, to using biblical stories as inspiration for pieces on rebirth and growth. In their upcoming solo exhibition “Back To School” at Hashimoto Contemporary, Giorgiko takes inspiration from their own lives. 

 

“Recently we have been inspired by our children and their experiences with navigating school and society. We see their struggles, and we remember our own. We see ourselves in them, and remember how to be like a child through them”.

 

 

 

This newest body of work brings a strong sense of nostalgia to the Giorgiko universe, reminding audiences of their own sturggles and triumphs of childhood. Featuring eight works, "Back To School" tells the story of adolescence through playground mishaps, gym class comradery, and forgotten after school pickups. With childlike innocence, the characters, just as each of us once did, learn to naviagate the complicated social structures around them and find their own place in the world. In this body of work, Giorgiko invites us to remember how it feels to embark on this journey of adolescence  with a sense of compassion and kindness. 

 

"Back to School" will be on view from August 9th to August 30th in our New York City location with an opening reception on August 9th from 6 - 8pm.