Statement

My recent work examines the value of life through the lens of social and political conditions that shape the environments I have inhabited, including Baltimore, MD and my home country, Greece. I begin from specific contexts marked by injustice—situations in which political irresponsibility leads to acts of violence, neglect, or catastrophe. These events often result in profound loss, from the death of human lives to the destruction of ecosystems and the erasure of natural habitats. My practice unfolds through sculpture, both as autonomous objects and as elements within larger installations. Within these environments, I often integrate two-dimensional works—drawings, prints, and text-based elements—creating layered narratives that operate across spatial and conceptual dimensions. While grounded in urgent contemporary issues, my work remains a philosophical inquiry into life, death, and transformation, engaging both personal and collective perspectives. Material exploration is central to my process. I am drawn to the symbolic weight materials carry, whether industrial or organic, and how these meanings shift through manipulation, juxtaposition, and placement. Through this ongoing dialogue with material and form, I seek to construct spaces where viewers can confront the fragility, resilience, and interconnectedness of life.

Biography

Pavlos Liaretidis (b. 1999, Thessaloniki, Greece) is a New York-based artist whose practice centers on sculpture and multidisciplinary installation. He completed his BFA Integrated Master’s at the School of Fine Arts at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and earned an MFA from the Rinehart School of Sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art. In 2025, he was awarded the Immigrant Artist Program Fellowship at the New York Foundation for the Arts. His work bridges his Greek heritage with diasporic experience and contemporary discourse.