Talking about how the idea to make the edits came about, the artist says: “It was during the beginning of 2020 when the lockdowns had just started that I came across the posters by the ministry of culture of Ukraine about the covid precautions in which they had put masks and gloves on characters in some famous classical paintings. I fell in love with this idea instantly and I wanted to do something like that.”
“I am a 28-year-old safety engineer,” Varkey introduces himself. “I love classical art, history, and geography. I don't have any background as a creator or artist but I have always loved classical art.”
“Whenever I see a painting I try to imagine how the painting would look if it was painted in the 21st century. I also try to correlate it with pop culture.”
When asked whether he ever faces creative block, the artist said: “Sometimes it is difficult, it depends on your mood or if you are busy with something. But classical art always brightens up my mood. I am an aesthete, I like looking at beautiful things, and what is more beautiful than a classical painting by Bouguereau or Carl Bloch or Vida Gabor? I have some friends who are very funny and are extremely sarcastic, so I also get ideas when I talk to them.”
“Mehmet Geren was a huge inspiration for me, I love all his works,” Varkey says. “It is difficult to develop a unique and distinct style nowadays but I guess it doesn’t matter because there is an audience for all of us. I don't think about it much because I do it mainly for my satisfaction, whenever I create something I feel content, and yes, whenever people appreciate what I do, it makes me want to keep doing it. If there is a market, I would like to sell my works as merchandise or prints in the future.”
