2 MINUTE READ
We meet Athos in his Antwerp atelier, a space that makes one wish for an extra set of eyes. To walk through the artist's workplace feels like getting a direct insight into the creative process. A narrow pathway, lined with props, materials, cloth, and unusual paraphernalia is enough to make you slow your pace. A plain door leads to one of 2 rooms that tend to look completely different each time you look in. Part-time set builder, part-time photographer, part-time sculptor, Athos makes the place function just so. You'll find him chipping away at colourful masks of climbing ladders to suspend tapestries from the ceiling. Although his aim seems so clear, based on the manner of work, it is not always the case. He tells us that he often refers to humor as a bed for his work. This does not imply the work ends up being something "funny", it gradually transforms into something stylised. Usually through a process of association, he keeps adding layers and layers onto the ideas, obscuring the original principle of the piece.
“Comfort is key. But not in a sloppy kind of way."
Sound by Senjan
Fabric by Reda
It is an exercise that takes Burez away from the outside world, into-well, his brain, essentially. He recounts: "I do a lot of background work. I go through my folders and files, filled with art-references, movie stills, Radom details, ... and subsequently, my mind starts mashing things together. It is the bizarre way a mind works that helps me create." On the subject of outfits, Athos is clear: "Comfort is key". But not in a sloppy kind of way he is quick to point it out. "Comfort can be obtained in wearing suit, made to your size. I love wearing wider linen trousers, with espadrilles underneath. I ensure room for movement, without straying too far from my own build." "As someone who is not particularly heat-resistant, I am uncomfortable in snug outfits or wearing multiple layers. A shame, really, because while I welcome this comfortable age of fashion, there is something to say for the uniformity of the last century. The sense of pride, wearing a perfectly tailored garment, is something beautiful to behold on its own."
It is a pride Athos nurtures, hosting dinner parties with friends or attending them elsewhere. "I love a good dressed-up party, both as an excuse to dress up myself, as well as enjoying time spent with friends." Those close to him know the lengths to which Athos will go to create a specific atmosphere in which an evening can take place. After all, what may look like dinner at first glance might from the inspiration for a future art piece.
