Chicago, IL . The Center on Halsted will present an art exhibit with pastel paintings by Jim Theologos, who resides in Costa Rica. The opening will be on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Mr. Theologos' life has been an astonishing journey. From the time he was able to hold a pencil and paper, Mr. Theologos, a photographer and a painter, has been drawing everything he sees. For him, art has always been more of a passion than a profession.
Born and raised in Manhattan, New York, he studied at the Pratt Institute and the New School of Social Research and was a lecturer there. In the early seventies, after a few years working as a professional photographer traveling all over the world, he moved to Costa Rica, where his passion for painting turned to exhibitions within a year. His experience as a photographer has influenced his treatment of light and shadows in his paintings.
His preferred techniques are oils and pastels and his favorite subjects are nature, still life, and especially the human form. According to Mr. Theologos, "throughout history, the human form has been the favorite theme of artistspartly because of its beauty and partly because of the challenge."
Mr. Theologos, a sought after teacher, has been teaching at his home studio and at the Universidad Veritas de Costa Rica for 40 years.
Mr. Theologos has had more than 50 exhibitions. His work has been shown in national museums, galleries and cultural centers in Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala, as well as in Philadelphia, New York, Paris and Brussels, and his works are collected in a number of galleries around the world. This particular exhibit includes 16 pastels inspired by vegetation in Costa Rica. The exhibit will close on Feb. 14.