In a nod to the still-life painters of the Dutch Golden Age, North Carolina-based artist Andrew Leventis considers the historical and contemporary significance of vanitas. Inspired by photographs of fridge contents taken by his friends and colleagues, Leventis’ images are strikingly familiar. They speak of domesticity, a quiet intimacy that is part of our everyday lives. Each interior tells a story: packed shelves that betray a sense of hurried anxiety, surgically clean steel compartments half-filled with raw meat, or neatly arranged dairy products and condiments to satisfy an overindulgent palate. Although less explicit, the core themes of vanitas paintings – the fragility and transience of life and the hollowness of worldly pleasures – are present. Traditional symbols of the genre like skulls, extinguished candles, books, and musical instruments are replaced by sets of whole chickens, a pig head, a slab of butter, or everyday treats, such as a carton of heavy cream, a jar of pickles, or beer bottles. Similarly, decadent piles of objects existing purely for our own entertainment and satisfaction reflect our futile desire for hedonistic consumption in contemporary society and a primal need for self-preservation. Leventis began to work on this series during the Covid pandemic, which forced him to grapple with the caducity of life. His oeuvre casts a spotlight on our human shortcomings and fears, but does so with compassion and understanding, for others as well as himself.


(by Gabriella Mazza)

ANDREW LEVENTIS
4813 Beechknoll Ct, Charlotte, NC, USA
leventisandrew@gmail.com
704-502-2448
www.andrewleventispainting.com


EDUCATION:

2012 MFA Fine Art, Goldsmiths College, University of London, London, UK.

2010 MA Fine Art, Wimbledon College of Art, University of the Arts London, London, UK.

2006 Bachelor of Fine Art in Painting, American Academy of Art, Chicago, IL.

2003 Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
(Art History and General Education Requirements).


SOLO EXHIBITIONS:


2023 Refrigerate After Opening, SOCO Gallery, March 8-April 26, Charlotte, NC.

2022 Contemporary Vanities, Mint Constellation Series, Mint Museum Uptown, January 14- May 8, 2022.

2021 Inner Life, Arts Visalia, May 3-29, Visalia, CA.

2020 Worlds Within, May 8- June 19, The Foundry Art Center, St. Charles, Missouri.

2019 Fractured Realities, April 16- June 1, Curfman Gallery, Colorado State University.

2018 Reconstructed Images and Nature Morte, Milliken Art Gallery, February 8-28, Converse College, Spartanburg, SC.

2018 Mise-en-Scene, SOZO Gallery, September 27-October 30, Charlotte, NC.

2017 “Re-collections”, Rowe Arts, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, January 2-29, Charlotte, NC.

2015 Still Life and Moving Image, Community Arts Network of Oneonta, Wilber Mansion, July 3-19, Oneonta, NY.

2014 Into the Screen: Still-Life and Moving Image, October 2- October 31, Rowe Gallery, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

2013 New Paintings, August 8- September 1, High House Gallery, Oxfordshire, UK.


GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

2024 Food in Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Krakow, April 11-November 22, Krakow, Poland.

2023 The World Without Us (Group Painting Exhibition), July 17- July 31, Neon Gallery, Eugeniusz Geppert Academy, Wroclaw, Poland.

2023 The World Without Us (Group Painting Exhibition), (August 5-25), Moving Poets Project Space, Berlin, Germany.

2023 Art Market San Francisco, K. Imperial Gallery, April 20-23, San Francisco, CA.

2022 Nature Morte: Contemporary Artists Reinvigorate the Still Life Tradition, September 21-November 3, Rowe Galleries, UNC Charlotte. (Co-curated the exhibition with Dr. Michael Petry, Roberto Eckholm, and Adam Justice.)

2022 Group Exhibition, Hidell-Brooks Gallery, July 1-30, Charlotte, NC.

2021 Arte Laguna Prize 15th Edition, Exhibition of Shortlisted Artists, Venice Arsenale, October 2-November 21, 2021

2021 Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition, May 27- September 20, York Art Gallery, UK.

2020-2021 Perspectives, Czong Institute for Contemporary Art Museum, December 30- January 17 (2021), Gimpo, South Korea.

2020 Art Essex Virtual Invitational, December 1-30 (Online), Presented by George Billis Gallery, NY. Juried by George Billis.

2020 Athens Open Art Exhibition, Gallery Number.23, October 2-8, Athens, Greece.

2020 Wells Art Contemporary International Visual Arts Competition, Wells Cathedral, UK (moved to virtual format due to Covid-19), October 1- December 1.

2020 2020 California Open- 15th National Juried Art Competition, Tag Gallery, September 2- October 2, Los Angeles, California. Curated by Kate Mothes.

2020 Wet Paint 2020, Colors of Humanity Art Gallery (Online Exhibition), September 1-31. Juried by Janelle Cogan. 1st Prize Award for Freezer Box (Vanitas).

2020 Eat! Juried Online Exhibition, J. Mane Gallery, August 28. Freezer Box (Vanitas) received Best of Show.

2020 United Artist Relief Fund, August 2, New York, NY.

2020 Color: Juried Exhibition, Online Exhibition Presented by Collex Art, August 1-31.

2020 Detour (Online Exhibition), Hosted by University of Maine Farmington, June 25-July 23.

2019 The World Without Us (Group Painting Exhibition), October 24-November 10, APT Gallery London, UK.

2019 The Recent Graduates Show Revisited, curated by Cassie Beadle, The Affordable Art Fair, October 17-20, Battersea Park, London, UK.

2019 New York City Invitational, George Billis Gallery, June 25- July 31, New York, NY.

2019 Artrooms Art Fair London, January 11-13, Melia White House, London, UK.

2018 Art on a Secret Postcard Exhibition (Invitational Auction), December 10, Hepatitis C Trust, London, UK.

2018 Lab 10 Malamegi Group Exhibition, October 31, 28 San Pietro Gallery, Rome, Italy.

2018 Color- National Juried Art Show, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists’ Coalition, July 28-August 19, Brooklyn, NY.

2018 LA Artcore 4th Annual Juried Exhibition, Dab Art, July 1-29, Los Angeles, CA.

2018 The Representational Art Conference 2018 International Juried Exhibition, West Concord Hotel, May 1-6, Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

2018 Klassieke Kunst, Group Exhibition, Frisian Gallery, Leeuwarden, May 1- June 24, Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

2017 Winter Show, Group Exhibition at Greenhill Art Center, December 3- January 13, Greensboro, NC.

2017 Young International Contest of Contemporary Art Exhibition, November 18-29, Fondazione Museo Crocetti, Rome, Italy.

2017 Wet Paint, Exhibition at Goodyear Arts, September 28- November 4, Camp Northend, Charlotte, NC.

2017 Art Gemini Prize 2017 Finalists Exhibition, September 19-22
Asia House Gallery, London.

2017 New York City Invitational Exhibition, July 25-August 18,
George Billis Gallery, Chelsea, NY.

2017 Group Exhibition at Sunny Arts Gallery, Feb 2- June 5, Sunny Arts Gallery, London, UK.

2016 29th September Competition, Alexandria Museum of Art, November 10- December 23, Alexandria, LA.

2016 Axis Gallery 11th National Juried Exhibition, Axis Gallery, August 5- 28, Sacramento, CA.

2016 Annual Faculty Exhibition, Rowe Gallery, University of North
Carolina at Charlotte, August 31- Sept 23, Charlotte, NC.

2016 Annual Faculty Exhibition, University of South Dakota Art Gallery 110, March 1-29, Vermillion, SD.

2015 360 Xochi Quetzal Residents Group Exhibition, June 2-29, Chapala, Mexico.

2015 The Walker Open Exhibition 2015 (Juried Show), Walker Art Gallery, April 1- May 29, Garnett, Kansas.

2015 We Never Dream Alone, Group Exhibition, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, January 9- February 6, London, UK.

2014 Deserts of Humanity, Group Exhibition, Display London, Holborn, London, UK.

2013 Gruppeutstilling, May 15-June 30, Kunstgalleriet, Stavanger, Norway.

2013 Trace, Group Exhibition with Jules Clark, Mirna Kresic, and Andrew Leventis, February 22, Art Eco Gallery, London, UK.

2013 Young Gods, Exhibition of London Graduates, curated by Zavier Ellis, January 10-February 15, Griffin Gallery, London, UK.

2012 Group Exhibition with Sarah Helser, Terrell James, Andrew Leventis, James Jared Taylor, November 28, Renee George Gallery, Charlotte, NC.

2012 Salon Art Prize 2012 (Part II), November 6- December 28, Griffin Gallery, London, UK.

2012 Brush Exhibition, November 6, Concrete Space, Shoreditch, London, UK.

2012 The Recent Graduate Exhibition, The Affordable Art Fair, October 22-28, Battersea, London, UK.

2012 Salon Art Prize 2012 Exhibition (Part I), October 12- November 3, Matt Roberts Gallery, London, UK.

2012 This is the End, MFA Degree Show, July 5-9, Goldsmiths College, University of London, London, UK.

2011 The National Open Art Exhibition (Juried Competition) December 10-29, Chichester, UK.

2011 Stressing Spiritual Needs Even When Selling Ice Cream, Group Exhibition, DNA Gallery, Berlin, Germany.

2011 Goldsmiths Interim Show 2011, Goldsmiths College of Art, University of London, London, UK.

2010 Wimbledon College of Art MA Show 2010, Wimbledon College of Art, London, UK.

2010 I Swore I Sore, WCA Interim Show, Nunnery Gallery, London, UK.

2010 WCA Student Exhibition, Deutsche Post Bank, London, UK.

2009 December MA Painting Exhibition, Wimbledon Space, Wimbledon College of Art, London, UK.

2009 Choice Art Exhibition, Center of the Earth Gallery, Charlotte, NC.

2009 Realism Found, Group Exhibition, Queens Gallery, Charlotte, NC.

2009 Andrew Leventis, Solo Exhibition, Dialect Gallery, Charlotte, NC.

2009 August Exhibition, Providence Gallery, Charlotte, NC.

2008 Hip to Be Square, Providence Gallery, Charlotte, and NC.

2008 Still Lifes and Landscapes, Group Exhibition, The Artists’ Gallery, Charlotte, NC.

2008 Vista, Group Exhibition, Art House, Charlotte, NC.

2005 Illinois Collegiate Art Competition, Southwestern Illinois University, Belville, Illinois.

2005 Fra Angelico Art Competition, Loyola College, Chicago, IL.

2004 Annual Juried Show, American Academy of Art, Chicago, IL.

2003 Annual Juried Show, American Academy of Art, Chicago, IL.


TEACHING/EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

2016- 2017 Assistant Professor of Painting, University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC.

2015- 2016 Assistant Professor of Art in Painting, Graduate Faculty, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD.

2013 - 2015 Adjunct Professor, Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC.

2014 Adjunct Professor, South Piedmont Community College, Monroe, NC.

2013 - 2014 Adjunct Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC.

2014 Adjunct Professor, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Salisbury, NC.

2013 - 2014 Adjunct Professor, Montgomery Community College, Troy, NC.

2006 Intern at Aron Packer Gallery, Chicago, IL.


VISITING PROFESSOR/ARTIST TALKS:

2021 Future Now Symposium, Presented by Aesthetica Art Magazine, Shortlisted Artist’s Panel Discussion, April 29, (Zoom).

2021 Meet the Finalists: Arte Laguna Prize, 15th Edition, March 10, (Zoom).

2020 Career Meet Up: Exploring and Registering for Art Exhibitions, Hosted by Dr. Suzanne Voigt, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, December 2, (Zoom).

2020 Artists’ Panel Discussion, California Art Open, TAG Gallery, September 23, (Zoom).

2020 Paper Presentation at the Art in Society Conference: The Blockbuster Picture; Cinematic Influences on Contemporary Painting, June 24, Galway, Ireland.

2020 Artist Talk for the Foundry Art Center, May 13, (Virtual) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAqDjTrPzSU

2018 Paper Presentation at The Representational Art Conference: Can Representational Art be Viewed as Contemporary without Mediation? May 3, Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

2018 Visiting Artist Talk in conjuction with Reconstructed Images and Nature Morte, Milliken Art Gallery, February 8-28, Converse College, Spartanburg, SC.

2015 Visiting Artist and Guest Speaker, March 4, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota.

2014 Visiting Artist in Printmaking 1 and Printmaking 3 with Assistant Professor of Art Erik Waterkotte, November 3 and 10, University at North Carolina at Charlotte.
 
2014 Visiting Artist for UNCC exhibition Still-Life and Moving Image in Painting 1 with Maja Godlweska and Abstract Painting with Susan Brenner, October 2, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

2013 Visiting Artist and Guest Speaker, October 10, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA.

2013 Visiting Professor to Art History Methods with Associate Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art History Jae Emerling, November 19, University at North Carolina at Charlotte.

2011 Visiting Professor/Guest Lecturer to University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Study Abroad Trip to London, UK, May 18- June 2. Topics included Turner, the Pre-Raphaelites, and Elizabethan portrait painting at the Tate Britain Gallery.




REVIEWS/RESIDENCIES/GRANTS:

2021 New American Paintings, The South, Issue #154, (40 of 1000 applicants selected).

2021 Artist Support Grant ($2,000), awarded for the creation of a new body of work, Arts and Sience Council, January, 2021.

2021 New American Paintings Magazine Issue #148, pgs. 104-107. (40 of 1000 applicants selected).

2020-21 Nelson Mullins Art Loan Program ($550), April 1-May 1, Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough LLP, Charlotte, NC.

2020 House Letters Magazine Issue 2, Publication by Bethany Holmes, August, Pg 45.

2019 “The World Without Us”, Exhibition Review in This is Tomorrow Magazine by Sarah Markari, November 18, 2019.

2018 INPA 8, Manifest International Painting Annual Publication Annual Issue, pgs. 91-93.

2017 The Artist Magazine Competition, Finalist in Still Life Category, November-December Issue.

2017 Faculty Research Grant ($6,000), Awarded for the production of a new body of work, July, 2017.

2015 360 Xochi Quetzal Residency, June 2-30, Chapala, Mexico.
(competitive, juried award)

2015 Aesthetica Magazine: We Never Dream Alone Review:

http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/blog/sidsel-christensen- andrew-leventis-lisa-slominski-never-dream-alone-kristin- hjellegjerde-gallery-london/

2015 Exhibition Listing: We Never Dream Alone, London Guardian, January 2, 2015.

2014 We Never Dream Alone, Wall Street International Magazine, January 15, 2015, press release by Anna Wallace-Thompson. http://wsimag.com/art/12748-we-never- dream-alone

2014 Press Release in Artforum, We Never Dream Alone, December 22.

http://artforum.com/guide/country=GB&place=London&jump=11693

2013 Andrew Leventis Solo Exhibition, Show and Tell Magazine, July 31, 2013.

http://showandtellmagazine.wordpress.com/2013/07/31/andrew-leventis-solo-exhibition/

2013 ‘Trace’ at Art Eco Gallery, Fad Website, February 19.

http://www.fadwebsite.com/2013/02/18/group-show-trace-at-arteco-private-view-tuesday-19th-of-february-2013/

2013 Young Gods at the Griffin Gallery, A Kick Up the Arts, January 13.

http://akickupthearts.wordpress.com/tag/andrew-leventis/

2013 Young Gods, Artnesia Blogspot, Thursday, January 10.

http://artnesia.blogspot.com/2013/01/young-gods.html

2012 Salon Art Prize 2012 Exhibition Catalogue, Oct 12- November 3, Matt Roberts Arts, London, UK.

2011 The National Art Open Exhibition Catalogue (Juried Exhibition) December 10-29, Minerva Theatre, Chichester, UK.

2010 Hudson, Kitty, Review September 29, 2010, Murmur Art Magazine, Sept. 2010:16.

2010 Froggatt, Smit, Review September 29, 2010, Murmur Art Magazine, Sept. 2010: 16.

2008 Trippi, Peter. “Off the Walls: Galleries and Artists.” Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, June 2009: 64.