Alexis Christodoulou’s Digital Artworks

WORDS Michaela Stehr

What began as a hobby for Alexis Christodoulou – winemaker at Ambeloui Estate in Hout Bay and artist in his spare time – has turned into a portfolio of works featuring imagined architectural spaces.

Drawing inspiration from the digital world and a childhood spent playing video games, Alexis noticed a lack of modern aesthetics represented through this medium. He uses the buildings around him in South Africa as starting points for his pieces. “I usually get my inspiration from modern architecture or buildings that I see around Cape Town, or wherever I go,” he says.

As he has gained experience, the process has become second nature. “I used to rely quite heavily on photos, but now I start with an idea and work outwards. I like to think of something I’d like to achieve, a mood, a form of lighting or a texture, and then build around it. It’s quite intuitive now.”

His surreal pastel settings evoke a strong sense of escapism, featuring clean lines, curved walls, striking light, shadow and empty spaces with a prominent modernist influence. “I do enjoy modernism,” Alexis says, “but I’m not attached to it. My images lean towards modernism and minimalism, because I think they are very effective in conveying the mood I’m going for. For me, a deserted rustic farmhouse isn’t as relaxing as an empty Brutalist building with a cold pool.”

For more information, visit alexiscstudio.com or follow Alexis on Instagram.