Billelis, the beauty of Death — Reflect / Refract

Back at the beginning of Reflect/Refract, I made a list of all the artists I wanted to talk about, and Billelis was the first name I wrote down. It's not just because I admire his work, but first and foremost because I consider him to be a true 3D artist, someone who has created a deeply original and personal work through this medium, creating an instantly recognizable style, often imitated, while keeping a clear vision of what he wanted to do. Artists' freedom is often talked about without taking into account the fact that they walk a very narrow path, a road that they trace one work at a time, without knowing if it will take them anywhere, if the choices they make are the right ones. Anyone can create a beautiful image by accident, but it takes an extraordinary strength of character to create a consistent body of work, so that we can follow the common thread linking the first image to the last. Few artists are able to achieve this. And Billelis is one of them.

The strength of his work lies not only in its consistency, but also in the relevance of the choices he made early on, and the way they resonate with our collective imagery. Billelis shapes death and makes it beautiful, turning each sculpted skull into a unique jewel where gold blends with marble and bone, where horror merges with the sacred and mystery. I see in him the successor to the sculptors who have adorned cathedrals and churches throughout Europe since the Middle Ages, the artisans of beauty whose works created a bridge between man and the divine. As a 3D artist, I also view his work as rooted in the past, but transcending it through this new medium. Billelis' art resonates with us not only because the themes and symbols he handles are timeless, but also because of its distinctive nature, the fact that he creates a different kind of sculpture, freed from the constraints of the physical material. He bridges the gap between ancient and modern, tradition and innovation. His images are surrounded by darkness, yet from them emerges a light unlike any other, a radiant luminosity that sublimates his subject to show us that from death can emerge a form of beauty, a grace that transcends the centuries.

It's hard to speculate on the posterity of a body of work, and a digital one no less, at a time when artworks are rapidly fading into oblivion. Yet, I'm willing to bet that of all the 3D artists, Billelis probably has a better chance of finding his place in future art studies than the others. Like Giger and Beksiński before him, Billelis has opened up a new path that belongs to him alone. And like them, his art has succeeded in attracting a public fascinated by the beauty of his images and their message. Billelis's art is destined to last, and this is probably the greatest reward for an artist.

When did you start working with 3D? What is your journey?
I'd say it’s almost 15 years ago now. In my early days at uni I got introduced to Maya and I found it extremely complicated, then someone told me about cinema 4D and Zbrush and I started messing around. I have never been technical enough to consider myself a 3D artist. To me it’s another tool. Back then I was obsessed with photo collaging and montaging and I guess that inspired my 3D workflow too.

One of the most obvious things about your images is the importance of death. Skulls and skeletons are recurrent elements in your art. Can you tell us what these themes mean to you?
With everything in my creative journey the origins come from play or a sense of rebellion I guess. In a time where most mograph was happy bubble colour abstractions, I saw myself drawn to these themes. Again there are incredible Zbrush artists out there that are on godly levels of art and I will forever feel like an imposter when I see their work but that hasn’t stopped me from doing my thing. But death as a subject I guess comes from a deeply rooted psychological fear of loss and darkness. I remember watching the trailer, yes the trailer, of the exorcist at a young age and that haunted me for years to come, so I decided to face my fears and I guess try to see the beauty in the darkness. That coupled with the fear of loss and loved ones over my life and those extremely heartbreaking moments.

I use death, or more like the beatification of death as a means of coping with the shit that terrifies me.

Billelis

Your images are also reminiscent of a certain Catholic representation of death: the use of gold, the mix between a macabre theme and opulent imagery… When I see your images, I often think of Paul Koudounaris' book Heavenly Bodies, which shows how the bodies of saints were embellished with precious stones. Do you feel close to this imagery, in an artistic and/or religious way?
May I say that’s an incredible book, and decorated saints in particular. I grew up in Greece surrounded by orthodox Christianity, although my family never forced anything on me, Greek Orthodox dad, protestant English mum. My uncle was a monk that specialized in religious paintings for churches so you could say the inspiration has always been around me, coupled with Greek sculpture I guess I was very fortunate with my upbringing. But these perhaps subconscious inspirations have all manifested in direct links to my work over the years. Especially the more I research and travel. But decorated saints especially are so fascinating as they are literal corpses, adorned and celebrated like royalty. There is something truly beautiful on display.

One of the influences I find most noticeable in your work is Baroque sculpture. What is your relationship with this period of art?
I recently traveled to Vienna and I have to say the influences are remarkable, I may not be the most educated on the subject but for me the sense of wow and wonder I receive when experiencing these temples and the way everything is displayed makes me understand how many people believe in a higher power, I may not be religious anymore but the worship and art is truly breathtaking.

There's also a strong sense of unity in your work. The importance of black backgrounds, the centrality of the pieces presented, the materials used and the lighting all contribute to shaping your instantly recognizable style. How have these different elements come together over the years?
I may not be the most technical dude in the world but I’ll give myself this, I have a good touch when it comes to lighting and materials. And that’s a result of tweaking over a decade. I keep every file ever made, and it helps to go back, revisit and revive artworks. With the knowledge I have now I realize that no artwork is ever truly complete, it’s simply another stage in its existence, ready to be revived. You can also blame that unity in my childhood memories from Greece, churches and museums.

I found my palette, my strokes and my tools. I believe in perfectionism and almost obsession in one's craft.

Billelis

On the other hand, and without this being contradictory, you continue to explore paths other than 3D. I remember you were into photography at some point, but I don't know if that's still the case.

I still love photography, I simply don’t post about it much, same with cooking. I love cooking and that’s how I show love to people that mean the most to me. Regarding exploring other creative paths, I think it’s so important in an artist's career. I literally made my passion into my life and job, so there are defo going to be moments of extreme frustration, stagnation and boredom, I find by still being creative and exploring other means we get to train the creative muscle, find the joy and learn to be shite at something again, starting from the ground up and rekindling that sense of play and accomplishment.

One of the most striking things when I look at your sculptures is the way you balance detail while keeping the overall form legible. The same approach can be seen in the compositions of Kris Kuksi, for example, where the central figure is immediately recognizable, but is surrounded by a host of characters and objects that act as a second level of reading. How do you approach your compositions and the different levels of legibility within them?
Kris is an incredible artist and a true legend, one of a kind, Same can be said for Nekro who is another incredible artist. So many people become inspired from and foster a relationship of respect. What I love about Kris and Nekro's work is they tell a story on multiple levels, your eyes travel and discover. Although I personally tend to focus more on the central subject and the rest are means to elevate the subject, or show a symbiotic relationship, I find true joy in intense levels of detail. And since I'm rubbish at retopology etc etc most of my scenes crash all the time. And I love it lol

Speaking of sculpture, do you feel close to other artists in this field, whether in 3D or IRL?

I mean you are incredibly inspiring so let’s make sure that is out there! There are many artists that inspire me, like Daniel Arsham, Book Of Alchemy and more but I don’t like to see it as similar. I see it as an inspiring competition to be amazed by what they are creating. And light a fire up my ass to go make cool shit myself too. I have been working on physical statue prototypes and want to work on bronze cast pieces in the future but I can’t do everything all at once. I trust when the time is right it will happen.

One of the other points I'd like to talk with you about is the light in your images. There's a great luminosity that stands out in your latest works, enhanced in particular by the black backgrounds we talked about earlier, and this attention to lighting is in itself a message. How do you approach light in your images?
It goes back to bringing life and beauty in darkness. My lighting is so basic I feel. I only have 2 HDRI I use, one is a white museum kind of vibe which is only used for my more experimental statue kind of ideas. But my main HDRI is basically a massive panorama stitch of Greek church interiors. The candle light and gold warm tones work magic for me. And that is what I have used for like 10 years now. And trust me when I say it’s not technical at all, it’s a mashup up but it works for my work. Softer light and no harsh highlights. That and one big soft light normally overhead for that top down mood. That’s about it. Unless its extremely detailed mandala kind of work which needs a few more slim almost neon like tubes to help ping some sharp highlights.I am sure if you saw my files you would be like da fuck is this dude doing?

You also regularly sell prints of your images. How do you see printing in relation to your creative process? Is it something you have in mind when you're working, or do you only consider it once the image is finished?

I love it! Nothing beats seeing your work in large format, and yes the past 2 years I have found myself creating art primarily with printing intentions behind it. And it has been so good for my work. As 3D artists we are used to living in a digital world but 3D is simply a tool in artistic creation, and that is how I see it. Having print in mind I find myself really working in the details and cohesion of the piece. That has been what I always wanted to achieve as an artist and just because I can’t paint doesn't mean that 3D art is not beautiful.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on 3D art. How do you see this practice in relation to other arts (painting, sculpture, photography, etc.)? Do you feel that being a 3D artist isolates you from the art world, or do you feel part of a wider movement?
I would say that I have had my fair share of weird looks from galleries in the early days of my career. For me 3D artists are extremely versatile and unique in what they create. No matter their style. Yes 3D was primarily used for gaming ,vfx and advertising but I love to see 3D artists branch out to more contemporary realms and embed themselves in the art world.