In a world increasingly shaped by trends, speed, and surface-level aesthetics, Stefanos Basias stands firmly in the space of sincerity. For him art is not a product, nor a performance, it is a necessity.
A language formed long before words, rooted in childhood instinct and guided by emotional truth rather than external approval.
In this interview, Basias speaks openly about creation as a deeply human act: a way to understand the world, confront inner conflicts, and leave behind something living and real.
He reflects on authenticity in an era of compromise, the importance of remaining connected to one’s inner child, and the quiet power of art to awaken emotions that have long been buried.
What emerges is not just the portrait of an artist, but of a human being who views art as freedom, unprocessed, spontaneous, and profoundly alive.
Was there a defining moment when you realized you were an artist?
There was not a certain time where I realised that I am an artist. Since I was little, I was always painting and creating things, even when no one saw me.
Art was always my way to understand the world, to get away, to express those things that I couldn't express with words.
As the years passed by , I understood that the part of creation is not something I did to spend my time, it was just my reflection to life, a way to leave something real and alive to the world, a small piece of my soul leaving my body and perhaps reaching someone.
What was your first significant piece of artwork?
My first significant piece of art was just to draw just like I did when I was younger. Without rules, without considering if it was beautiful or if someone even liked it, I was just letting my heart unfold.
I truly want each piece of my art to make people reconnect with their inner child, a thing that adulthood makes us bury in the altar of fake seriousness.
For me, art is the tool of letting out of your soul whatever sacred and real feeling you have deep inside of you, let's say just a way of being totally free, spontaneous and human.
The challenges you face as an artist?
When I have to face a great challenge, I face it firstly as a human being and then as an artist.
For me, it is really important to remain authentic in a world that constantly keeps pushing you to compromise.
The easiest way is to follow the trends or to create something just to give it away, but for me, art must come from the inside of the artist's soul, unprocessed and pure.
Daily life and obligations often distract me from creation, but this battle is also a part of the journey, and this gives me the true meaning of every artwork.
How do you handle creative blocks or periods of low inspiration?
When I don't have any inspiration, I don't just sit around waiting for the idea to be born, I keep on creating, experimenting, making mistakes.
Something always pops up from where you least expect it. Those 'blocks' don't stop creation, they are just a part of the game and perhaps, the most interesting part of it.
What was the most rewarding experience in your art career so far?
The most rewarding experience so far is when I see someone observing my art and feeling something real, not just looking, but also reacting, remembering or discovering things that they have buried deep inside themselves.
To ignore what the art means to me and make it part of themselves, to look for answers alone.
That is the moment when I realise that the art I created didn't just hang on the wall,but it became a part of someone's life.
There's no greater reward than this feeling.
Do you think that art plays a specific role in society?
Totally, art plays a significant role in society, not just because it has to decorate walls or sell. It is a way of waking people up, make them feel something real and remember who they are or question the things that they are being told.
It is the only true freedom we can hold in a world that often imposes rules instead of authenticity.
Are there any artists that influenced your work?
Artists like David Choe, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Yoshitomo Nara have inspired me because they didn't just care about rules or expectations.
They created art with all of their love, and this made me realise that art is not just for liking or being in large, lifeless living rooms.
It's about expressing yourself, finding your own voice and feeling human. That's the only way to truly be alive.
What are you working on at the moment?
I'm working on a series that belongs to the same universe that I've created.
I just draw my characters and observe what they do, how they move and how do they feel inside their world.
It feels like I'm talking with them without saying much, I just let my work speak by itself. Each picture and detail is a little dialogue with whatever I keep inside my mind and soul, and with everything a person can feel just by looking at it.
Do you have any upcoming art fairs that you are a part of?
I don't participate in every art fair that exists. I carefully choose the places that I exhibit because for me , the presence of my work must be meaningful and consistent with its philosophy.
I want to exist in places that truly appreciate art and offer the world the opportunity to see it carefully, not simply as a product.
For me, choosing the exhibition is part of the creative process and the overall course of the project.
Is there any advice would you give your younger self when starting out?
I would tell them not to worry whether they like it or not. Just to draw whatever they feel and of course make mistakes and try things that seem crazy.
Good works find their way on their own, the rest is noise.
