Leon Sarantos

The title of my recent solo exhibit, “A Love Affair With Colors,” best describes my art. Small, quick dashes of high-key colors dance across the painting for subtle stimulation and movement. My art is recognizable to the viewer, yet abstracted from a literal representation. I paint when I feel an emotional connection to the subject of my art, and aim to convey that feeling. My subjects include figures and cityscapes, landscapes and abstract art. I have exhibited my art extensively in curated art shows on a national and international basis. Several of my paintings have won awards. I am a juried member of the Union Street Gallery Guild in Illinois, and am also a member of Artsia: The Society of International Artists.

B. Architecture, University of Michigan, College of Arts and Architecture.
Continuing Studies: Art Institute of Chicago, figure painting; Hyde Park Art Center, oil painting.

First Prize, South Side Impressions Exhibit, Beverly Art Center, Chicago, Illinois, 2011.
Best of Show Award, Value Volume Variety Exhibit, Cornerstone Gallery, Indiana, 2011
Third Prize, Artistic License Exhibit, Studio 659, Whiting, Indiana, 2013.
Honorable Mention, Indigenous Landscapes: Imprints of the South Shore, Indiana Welcome Center, Indiana. 2015.

Selected Exhibits:

Solo Exhibits

ColorPlay, Bernard Gallery, Calumet College of Saint Joseph, IN. Curator, Martin Martinez, 2015.
Networks. CornerStone Gallery, Whiting, IN. 2013.
A Love Affair With Colors, CornerStone Gallery, Whiting, IN. 2012.
Art by Leon Sarantos, Riverside Mall Theatre, North Riverside, IL. Curator: Claire Vartabedian. 2011.

Group Exhibits

Calumet Region and Northwest Indiana Art Exhibit, Bernard Gallery at Calumet College of Saint Joseph, IN. Curator, Martin Martinez, 2015.
Indigenous Landscapes: Imprints of the South Shore, Indiana Welcome Center, IN. Jurors: David Detmer, Jocelyn J. Prue, Ruth Crnkovich, Alex Schaufele and Ann Fritz. Sponsors: Center for Arts and Culture at the University of Notre Dame, White Ripple Gallery, South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. 2015.
The Handsome Squid Jr. Cafe, Handsome Squid, Chicago, IL. Curators: Susan Frame. 2015.
Who’s Afraid of Red, Studio Oh, Chicago, IL. Curators: Pam Hamilton and Erwin Overes. 2014.
The Abstract Show III, Brickton Art Center, Park Ridge, IL. Jurors: Darrell Roberts, Kristin Haas. 2014.
Second Nature, Evanston Ecology Center, Evanston, IL. Jurors: Mary Berg, Patricia O’Malley. 2014.
Small Works Exhibit, White Ripple Gallery, Hammond, IN. Juror: Dr. Thomas J. Roach. 2014.
The Hyde Park Connection, CornerStone Gallery, Whiting, IN. Curator, Leon Sarantos. 2014.
Pram Invitational, Hyde Park Art Center,Chicago, IL. Curator: Kathryn Trumbull Finreit. 2014.
South Lake Artist's Co-op Group Show, Paul Henry’s Art Gallery, Hammond, IN. 2014.
Artistic License, Regional juried exhibit, Studio 659, Whiting, Indiana. 2013. Third prize.
Fluidity, Regional juried exhibit, Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, Illinois. 2013.
Mad World, National juried exhibit, Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, Illinois. 2013.
South Lake Artist's Co-op Group Show, Paul Henry’s Art Gallery, Hammond, Indiana. 2013.
International Streaming Festival 7th Edition, International juried exhibit, Isfth Foundation, The Hague, The Netherlands. 2012.
ArTConneKt International Exhibition, Oriel Bach Gallery, Swansea, UK. 2012.
69th Annual Salon Show, South Shore Arts, Munster, Indiana. 2012.
CornerStone Photo Arts III, Regional juried exhibit, CornerStone Gallery, Whiting, 2012.
Value Volume Variety, Regional juried exhibit, CornerStone Gallery, Whiting, IN. 2011 Best of Show.
South Side Impressions, Beverly Art Center, Chicago. 2011 First Prize.
Inside Out, Praksis Gallery, Chicago, Illinois. 2011.
Real People, Old Court House Arts Center, Woodstock, Illinois. Juried National Exhibit. 2011.
Reclaim Art: Benefit for Howard Brown Health Center, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago, Illinois. 2011.
5th Annual Emerging Artist Exhibit, Morpho Gallery, Chicago. 2011.
7 Deadly Sins, Studio 659, Whiting, Indiana. 2011.
Vision Becomes Reality, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago. 2011.

I am influenced by Matisse in my use of strong lines and contrasts. I also find inspiration from abstract realism. Many of my paintings combine representational art with an abstract approach.

cityscape, landscape, abstract, representational, figurative, contemporary