Varkey’s journey into meme artistry began not with formal training, but with curiosity, and a whole lot of time. During the early days of the 2020 lockdowns, the 31-year-old safety engineer found himself spending long hours online, scrolling through classical paintings and admiring their details. It wasn’t long before inspiration struck. A series of public health posters by Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture, where classical artworks were edited to wear masks and gloves, sparked the idea that art from centuries ago could still speak to our modern lives, especially with a sarcastic twist.
“During Covid, stuck at home for 3 months, I had lots of time and spent much of it making memes,” he shares. Without any formal background in art or design, Varkey began creating digital mashups, reimagining somber saints and Renaissance figures as socially anxious millennials, disappointed friends, or annoyed co-workers. “Whenever I see a painting, I try to imagine how it would look if it was painted in the 21st century. I also try to correlate it with pop culture,” he explains.
His captions often reflect the little dramas of daily life, blending historical imagery with razor-sharp humor. Whether it's a medieval portrait paired with a painfully relatable thought or a Baroque mother looking done with everyone’s nonsense, the result is always funny and just a bit too real. “Classical art always brightens up my mood,” the artist says. “I am an aesthete, I like looking at beautiful things, and what is more beautiful than a painting by Bouguereau, Carl Bloch, or Vida Gabor?”
Despite the fun tone, Varkey admits it’s not always easy to stay inspired. “Sometimes it is difficult, it depends on your mood or if you are busy with something,” he says. “But I have some friends who are very funny and extremely sarcastic, so I also get ideas when I talk to them.” Mehmet Geren, another artist known for remixing classical art, was a key inspiration early on. “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,” he reflects. “I don’t think about it much because I do it mainly for my satisfaction.”
Today, with over 100,000 followers, Varkey’s edits have found their niche on the internet. Still, he isn’t planning a major pivot anytime soon. “As of now, I don't plan to change it; I just want to share classical paintings and make people laugh,” he says. And while a gallery show isn’t on the horizon, he’s open to possibilities: “If there is a market, I would like to sell my works as merchandise or prints in the future.” For now, though, he’s happy to keep remixing the past for laughs in the present.
