At first glance, Michel Devanakis’ paintings seem almost too familiar. A face looks like a face. A body has weight. A room feels believable. Then you look again, and suddenly, something feels off. Maybe it’s the perspective, the reflection, the strange position of a body, or a detail that refuses to behave the way your brain expects. That moment of confusion is exactly where Devanakis wants you.
Born in Douala, Cameroon, to Greek parents, Devanakis studied Graphic Arts and Advertising in France before spending more than 20 years working as a graphic designer and illustrator. In 2013, he turned his attention fully toward painting and eventually settled in Marathon, Greece.
His work explores what he calls the “threshold,” that fascinating space between two states. Reality and symbolism. Identity and perception. Belief and authority. What we see and what might actually be there.
Using digital collage and experimentation before translating his ideas into oil, Devanakis builds scenes that feel familiar yet strangely unstable. His use of extreme perspective can make anatomy appear almost impossible. But that’s the fun of it. These paintings aren’t asking you to understand everything instantly. They’re asking you to slow down, look twice, and wonder.
You can find Michel Devanakis on the web:
#1. Tootsies – Oil on Canvas
"Loved the theme and perspective on this one. It has an erotic feeling and was a pleasure to paint."
#2. Ascension, From the Series Beyond – Oil on Canvas
"Not every rise is a release. The wings open. The body hesitates. The shadow remains. A moment held at the threshold. Between weight and something that cannot yet be controlled."
#3. Eros, From the Series Beyond – Oil on Canvas
"This is not Eros as temptation or triumph. It is Eros as innocence. Vulnerability. Emotional awakening. A moment before love becomes action. Where feeling exists without gesture. Where meaning is still forming."
#4. What if Michael Jackson belonged to another realm – Oil on Canvas
"Not Neverland. Everland. A place beyond time, judgment, and noise. A space where innocence and sensitivity are allowed to exist. This painting is my interpretation of Michael as a tragically misunderstood being. Not the icon. Not the controversy. But the soul."
#5. Genesis, From the Series Beyond – Oil on Canvas
"Some works arrive like lightning. Others unfold slowly, as if waiting to be born. Genesis is my take on creation. Not as chaos or command, but as harmony, rhythm, and breath. At its center, Vishnu holds a golden thread that passes through every gesture, binding thought and form together. It’s a reflection on how everything begins."
#6. Medusa Rising – Oil on Canvas
"Medusa Rising reimagines the myth as a cosmic transformation. Not curse, but emergence. A powerful symbol of resilience, rebirth, and the eternal feminine."
#7. Libertas – Oil on Canvas
"A work inspired by history and mythology, exploring freedom, resilience, and rebirth. This painting is part of my new series Beyond, where I revisit symbols and stories that transcend time. With Libertas, I leaned into the origins of the Roman goddess and the echoes of liberty through history — from ancient ideals to their reimagining in modern monuments."
#8. Echoes of Her – Digital Collage with Oil and Acrylics on canvas
"This piece is a vibrant blend of digital collage, oil, and acrylic paints on canvas. It’s a journey that intertwines the past and the present, the personal and the universal, all captured within the contours of a woman’s face. When I embarked on this project, I wanted to create something that felt alive and multi-dimensional. I started by gathering newspapers,magazines and various patterns to shape my artwork. One of the most rewarding aspects of working on this piece was watching how the different materials interacted."
#9. Elysium – Oil on Canvas
"This is my third painting with an angel in a short period of time. Either it’s a coincidence or my subconscious is trying to tell me something (unless an angel whispers in my ears). This painting plays with the concepts of reicarnation, renewal and the pursuit of divine bliss."
#10. Wild Blossom – Acrylic on Canvas
"Letting myself go wild with my canvas."
#11. Leave your prayer after the tone – Oil painting & Acrylic on canvas
"In a world of chaos and technological advancement where cheap distractions, “fast-food prophets” and uneducated influencers have replaced common sence and values. It is not intended as a critic on any religion but rather as a humorous statement on how many people view faith today. Technology is the new God. So… download the prayer app (don’t laugh, there are actualy many out there) and leave your prayer."
#12. Freedom – Oil painting & Collage on canvas
"I firmly believe that Reality is what YOU make of it. You can create your own or choose for instance to read all the trash and ugly news that are fed to you every day. I have always wondered how would be the world if all the news globally spoke exclusively about good and positive news and choose to ignore the rest."
#13. Metamorphosis – Oil and Acrylic painting on canvas
"Just like many stories, art can reveal different facets, allowing you to craft your own narrative.
I understand that some of you might find it puzzling or even disappointing when I shift from one subject or style to another. But, for me, it’s about maintaining a fresh perspective and nurturing my curiosity. I always return to some of my favorite themes, but it has to come from within when the time feels right and inspiration strikes."
#14. A Sole Perspective – Oil painting on canvas
"Here’s my latest work. Many of you have asked me to dive deeper into this theme. Not that I wouldn’t have if you didn’t ask, as a matter of fact I also enjoy the process and it’s originality. The only challenge I face so far is finding the model with the “right” feet (as weird as it may sound), willing to pose in various angles, in order for me to find the most interesting perspective. My goal is not to paint something that has a million pictures on the web, but to discover and capture that little “extra” that will “speak” to me and hopefully others. It’s easier said than done! So, if you feel up for the challenge, why not give it a shot?"
#15. Clytie – Oil painting on canvas
"This painting is inspired by Greek mythology. The sunflower is often associated with the myth of Clytie and Helios. Clytie was a water nymph, and deeply in love with the sun god Helios. Sadly, he left her for another goddess, and it’s said that Clytie watched Helios crossing the sky in his golden chariot for 9 days, without any food or water. Eventually, she was transformed into a sunflower, and it’s said this is why sunflowers always face the sun."
#16. Rebirth – Oil painting on canvas
"The old world is dying and a new beginning arises. From the ashes, a gate to a whole new world, liberated from the burdens of the past. This painting is the fourth and last part of a series that started with my painting «The Calm Before the Storm». I wanted it to end with an optimistic note (and my assistant who is on the last picture, agreed!).
#17. Apocalypse – Oil painting, Canvas on plywood board
"As some of you may know, I typically plan my paintings and by the time I start them, I always have the finished idea on paper or on my screen, so the painting process is usually quite fast. This time though, I had nothing. Just the title and a few ideas. I started with a blank canvas, hoping that somehow it would take shape as I worked on it. I used black paint as a base and added some strokes with confused shapes. What disturbed me the most was the theme and all the negative energy that it brought into the process. I felt like it was draining me.
At some point, I decided to give up. I couldn’t even stand looking at it anymore, so I erased everything and started over. That’s when some other shapes started to appear. Just when I thought it was over, I began painting again. This was the first time I’ve painted like this – with no plan, no idea, no sketches, and no clue. I’m glad it’s over, but I also appreciate the experience. Would I do it again? No way, or at least not with such a dark subject. Do I like the result? Honestly, I don’t know. But what needed to come out did come out, and that’s all that matters.
It looks more like a sketch that would need more work on the details, but at the same time, the sense of urgency is enough. The previous painting had a cloth that covered and gagged the mouth in the middle of it, this one will also have something which I haven’t decided yet. No rush…"
#18. The Calm Before the Storm – Oil on Canvas
"In recent times, I have an interior premonition that important events are at our doorstep. Events that we cannot control and which do not look pleasant. Events that will upset our whole existence. This painting reflects this calm before the coming storm, whose breath is closer than ever, and that many of us already feel. The color slowly divests and becomes duller and colder. This breath will be the theme of my next two paintings."
#19. The Edge – Oil & Acrylics on Canvas
"This work has many readings. Mine involves the choices and decisions we have to make in our lives, never knowing which one is the best. More broadly, it also reflects the dangerous paths humanity seems to have taken in recent years, from pandemics to threats of war, natural disasters and social unrest. Your interpretation may be different.
While writing this text, I actually stumbled upon another -perhaps more religious- reading."
#20. African Vibes – Oil on Canvas
"I was born and raised in Cameroon where I lived for almost 20 years. I have not returned there since. One of the reasons is that sometimes, memories are better left intact. This painting was inspired by a trip to another African country, which in many ways, have the same vibes. Senegal is a country of smiling people. Kind and smiling. One of the first things that come to my mind when I think of this beloved continent are the colors, the light, the scents and the sounds. I could not render the last two on a canvas, but I hopefully did a good job with the rest."
#21. Good and Evil Staring at Each Other – Oil on Canvas
"I guess we all have a good and a bad side, conflictual feelings that sometimes tears us appart, trying to balance ourselves on a thin line that separates each side. Life is somehow a mixture of those extreme contradictions, that we all keep deep inside ourselves. Could each side exist without it’s opposite?"
#22. Ephemeral Self-portrait – Oil on canvas
"A few days ago, I entered a portrait competition organised by @artshowinternational in the United States. This morning the organizer informed me that I won the First Prize of this competition, together with 2 other artists."
#23. Dance Baby, Dance! – Oil on canvas
"This was truly fun to do and I think it shows. I wanted to create something that could bring a sense of joy in these days of lockdown and confinement. Hope you like it!"
#24. YEAY! – Oil and acrylics on canvas
"I wanted this one to be something between comics (the lower part) and a realistic painting (top part, partialy and intentionally unfinished)."
#25. Namaste – Oil on wood
"A double portrait of my stepson which can be seen and hanged either side. "Namaste" is the common greeting in yoga. It is a gesture to send a message of peaceful spirituality to the universe in the hopes of receiving a positive message back. To me, a portrait has to go beyond the obvious by catching the spirit and essence of the subject. My original title was “Gratitude and Happyness”. Namaste is shorter and it’s definition even more to the point when I think of him."
#26. Little Sunshine – Oil on Canvas
"I started this painting as a way to relax and experiment while I was working on another more realistic and demanding project (which I will show you next). This rasta kid needed all the freedom, warmth and spontaneity I could give with loose strokes and pure vivid colors. Thanks to my friend Patrick for letting me use (again!) one of his photos as a reference image."
#27. On the way to Pindaya – Oil on Canvas
"Landscape from a trip to Myanmar. Although I have travelled a lot around the globe (including Asia) , I have never been to Myanmar. The source picture was sent to me by a very good friend who went there 4 or 5 years ago. I did not like some elements in the picture so I removed them and did about the 1/3 by imagination trying to be truthful to my own experience of Asia."
#28. Left Behind – Oil on Canvas
"Painting from a photograph taken in Cameroon (in a place called Limbé) in the mid seventies. I lived almost 20 years in this country. All my childhood actualy. So it has a special place in my heart."
#29. Esoterica – Oil on canvas
"A little boy speaking to his inner selves in parallel universes!"
#30. Jason
"I really love his movies. Caricature from one of my favorite badass action movie star. Sketch by hand, finish & coloring in Photoshop with wacom pen."
#31. After the rain – Oil on Canvas
"Lady crossing a street after the rain."
#32. Solukhumbu trail in Nepal – Oil on canvas
"Landscape from a climbing adventure in the Himalayas."
#33. Traveller – Oil on Canvas
"Inspired by a photograph of Mr Aaron Draper."
#34. Kyrios Georgos – Oil on canvas
"Portrait of a regular customer at the coffee shop where I go."
#35. Laundry Day! – Oil on canvas
"Indian women having their colorful laundry to dry."
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who is Michel Devanakis?
Michel Devanakis is a contemporary figurative painter born in Douala, Cameroon, to Greek parents. He studied Graphic Arts and Advertising in France, worked as a graphic designer and illustrator, and later devoted himself entirely to painting.
What is the main theme of Michel Devanakis’ paintings?
A recurring theme in Michel Devanakis’ paintings is the “threshold,” an unstable space between different states. His work explores reality, symbolism, identity, perception, belief, authority, and the boundaries between what appears visible and what remains uncertain.
How does Michel Devanakis create his paintings?
Devanakis often develops compositions digitally using collage and visual experimentation before translating them into oil paintings. He commonly uses an alla prima technique, applying wet paint over wet paint and allowing the physical qualities of oil to remain visible.
Why does Michel Devanakis use unusual perspective?
Devanakis uses extreme perspective and foreshortening to challenge viewers’ expectations. Anatomical forms may initially appear incorrect even when intentionally constructed. This visual uncertainty encourages viewers to slow down, question their assumptions, and examine the painting more carefully.
Where is Michel Devanakis based?
Michel Devanakis is currently based in Marathon, Greece. After studying and working in France and spending more than two decades as a graphic designer and illustrator, he shifted his primary focus toward painting in 2013.
