Thomas Daskalakis – Eyes Hood (2024)

Eyes Hood is a striking and unsettling work by Cretan artist Thomas Daskalakis, where a literal car hood becomes a canvas for a burst of symbolism and visual tension. Painted in vibrant green, blue, and yellow hues, the surface is covered with hundreds of eyes, each one seemingly alive and watching from every angle. Daskalakis combines elements of street art, design, and architecture to create a dense, almost claustrophobic composition that explores themes of surveillance, urbanization, and the constant gaze of a digital age.

The eyes in Eyes Hood are not passive; they are actively engaged in their watch over the viewer. Whether you stand still or move around, the eyes follow you—echoing the omnipresent surveillance of modern society, reminiscent of Big Brother and the quiet creep of technology’s all-seeing eye. At once psychedelic and eerie, the composition channels a futuristic, sci-fi vibe, pulling references from alien symbolism, trippy visuals, and the aesthetics of resistance.

Drawing on the informal energy of doodle-like sketches, the work suggests the chaotic beauty of urban life while tapping into the unsettling feeling of being always observed. The contrast between the playful, toy-like nature of the eyes and their menacing, all-seeing quality creates an unsettling dynamic. In this way, Eyes Hood speaks to a deeper conversation about freedom, autonomy, and the tension between the personal and the collective in a hyper-surveilled world.

Through this immersive, almost otherworldly piece, Daskalakis forces us to confront the ways in which we are both part of and controlled by the systems around us. The result is a visually explosive, thought-provoking work that is as much a comment on design, space, and technology as it is a reflection on resistance and the psychological impact of living in a world where it feels like we are always being watched.

Thomas Daskalakis’ New Toys series presents a striking wall sculpture featuring a large car door as its central element. The door, with its grey base, serves as a canvas for an explosion of graffiti, a chaotic but deliberate swirl of neon-colored tags, logos, and words. With phrases like “Chocoban,” “K133” (a playful reference to “kiss”), “ACAB,” “DeadEnd,” and “La La La,” the work captures the raw, rebellious spirit of street culture. Daskalakis combines these elements with symbols of urban life — numbers, graffiti tags, and cryptic phrases — to evoke a sense of resistance and youthful defiance.

The door, once a utilitarian object, becomes a symbol of urban decay and a canvas for self-expression, embodying themes of vandalism, urbanization, and social unrest. The dense, layered composition speaks to the accumulation of secrets and messages, inviting viewers to decode and explore the fragmented narratives of city life. The neon colors against the grey base suggest a vibrant yet grim urban landscape, where the vitality of street art contrasts with the harshness of abandoned or forgotten spaces.

The piece feels both contemporary and timeless, as if it’s been left untouched for years, hidden in plain sight, revealing the unspoken desires and frustrations of a generation. It challenges the traditional boundaries of art and transportation, using the car door as a metaphor for escape, rebellion, and the inevitable passage of time. Daskalakis’ work blurs the line between architecture and art, offering a gritty, almost post-apocalyptic snapshot of the modern world through the lens of graffiti, youth culture, and urban resistance.

Thomas Daskalakis’ “Leopard Goo” (2024) is a striking wall sculpture that cleverly merges elements of fashion, pop culture, and street art, creating a playful yet edgy commentary on design and aesthetic trends. At its core, the piece is a car hood painted in bold shades of blue and grey leopard print, a visual motif synonymous with fashion and kitsch. The overall color scheme is a dynamic interplay of blue leopard spots on a deep black base, with subtle grey accents at the corners, evoking the iconic patterns often associated with high-end fashion or urban street styles.

What sets this work apart is the unexpected addition of a vibrant, gooey green substance at the bottom of the piece. Resembling slimy drips, the green material flows upwards, partially covering the leopard print design. This effect is achieved by layering bright green spray paint at the bottom of the hood, which is then flipped upside down and left to dry naturally, creating the illusion of dripping slime. The contrast between the slick, polished design of the leopard print and the messy, “ugly” drips introduces a sense of imbalance, disrupting the image’s usual allure.

Daskalakis, known for his exploration of urban landscapes and modes of transportation, uses the car hood as a symbol of movement, speed, and consumer culture, which is further accentuated by the glossy, pop-inspired aesthetics. However, the addition of the dripping goo challenges the viewer’s perception, undermining the otherwise polished and fashionable appearance. This “ugly” detail, as Daskalakis likely intended, injects a sense of imperfection into the work, balancing out its glossy, commercial surface with a raw, street-level sensibility. The piece can be read as a commentary on the commercialization of art, the transient nature of trends, and the tension between high design and the chaos of the urban environment.

“Leopard Goo” is a bold fusion of vehicle, fashion, and street art, its dripping paint turning a once-pristine surface into a site of transformation, blurring the line between kitsch, pop culture, and contemporary art.

Thomas Daskalakis’ What Miami? is a powerful diptych wall sculpture that presents two white car doors, stripped of their windows and handles, standing as a raw testament to urban decay and resilience. In contrast to much of Daskalakis’ more vibrant, chaotic work, this piece takes a minimalist approach, with graffiti concentrated around the edges and very little in the center. His familiar symbols—such as the small green smiley face, pink hearts, and his tag alongside “1312”—are scattered across the surface, creating a sense of fractured spontaneity.

A prominent feature of the work is the straight line of black streaks that runs across the bottom of both doors, a mark left by a crash where the paint has been scraped away, exposing the metal beneath. This damaged area remains untouched, with no attempt to repair it, adding to the sense of abandonment and wear. Daskalakis subtly enhances this mark with faint pink and faded blue lines above and below the streak, creating an impression of movement and time. The simplicity of these delicate lines adds a layer of introspection to the piece, inviting reflection on the cyclical nature of life, damage, and renewal.

The use of neon orange, bubblegum pink, and forest green accents evokes the colorful, flashy aesthetic of Miami—its vibrant architecture and street art culture that has flourished with the city’s rise as a global art hotspot. Daskalakis connects the work to Miami’s urban environment, imagining the car doors as remnants of a forgotten or abandoned vehicle from the city’s rougher neighborhoods, where vehicles are often left to decay. The title, What Miami?, hints at the complex relationship between the city’s consumerism-driven, glamorous exterior and the undercurrent of neglect and resistance that runs through its streets.

In its juxtaposition of minimalism and urban grit, What Miami? reflects Daskalakis’ engagement with the tensions between consumer culture, resistance, and the impermanence of material objects. The piece stands as a poignant meditation on the intersection of life, art, and the physical spaces we inhabit, captured through the damaged, yet still striking, form of a car door—a symbol of both Americana and urban survival.

‘DOOR (It Was Fun)’ by Thomas Daskalakis is a striking example of contemporary political art that blends industrial materials, street art, and environmental commentary. This piece, part of a new series by the emerging Cretan artist, reimagines a Fiat Punto car door as a canvas for bold expression. Daskalakis’ work juxtaposes the utilitarian nature of the car door—a symbol of modern modes of transportation and urbanisation—with a playful yet somber visual message.

The door is painted with vibrant, multi-colored leopard prints in shades of pink, green, blue, and orange, evoking a sense of contemporary pop and urban street art. The patterns on the window echo these hues, integrating design elements that feel both chaotic and harmonious, reflecting the complex nature of the world we live in. At the center of the door, a white, graffiti-style fake planet appears to be melting, underscoring the urgency of climate change and the accelerating environmental crisis.

Above the planet, the phrase “It Was Fun!” is scrawled in bold, casual lettering, a reminder that in the face of global challenges—whether climate change, conflict, or economic hardship—there is still a need to embrace life’s fleeting moments and have fun. The piece hints at the precarious balance between destruction and enjoyment in our capitalist society, where even the most industrial objects can be transformed into toys or symbols of both indulgence and catastrophe.

Through this “wall sculpture,” Daskalakis uses found objects, including a discarded car door, to critique the capitalist-driven culture of excess and the rapid urbanisation of our world. The work nods to Dada and Greek art, incorporating an ironic sense of play while addressing serious issues. It’s a vivid exploration of how contemporary life is shaped by both destruction and the need to celebrate the joy of living, even as time runs out. The work positions the car door—once a symbol of transportation—as a metaphor for our collective journey, reminding us to savor the ride while we still can.

Three Eyed Snake is a striking wall sculpture by emerging Greek artist Thomas Daskalakis, created as part of his provocative New Toys series. Daskalakis repurposes an unexpected base for this piece: the inside of a car hood, merging industrial design with artistic vision to create a bold statement on the intersection of architecture, transportation, and art.

At the heart of the sculpture are three vivid green eyes, rendered within the hood’s central indentations. Their piercing gaze—outlined in dark charcoal—both invites and unnerves, evoking a sense of being observed. These eyes blur the boundaries between snake, dragon, and feline, embodying an alien presence. Surrounding the eyes, the metallic surface is adorned with textured patterns resembling vibrant snake skin, rendered in fuchsia tones with iridescent accents. This interplay of color and texture amplifies the tension between the organic and the artificial.

The work is steeped in symbolism. The number three, significant in Chinese numerology, conveys harmony and balance, aligning with the transition from the Year of the Dragon to the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac. This transition echoes the sculpture’s serpentine themes, reinforcing its connection to cycles of renewal and watchful transformation.

Daskalakis’s fascination with being “watched” finds expression here, as the eyes seem to follow the viewer, creating a sense of non-threatening surveillance. By using a car hood—a symbol of mobility and modern design—as his canvas, he critiques modes of transportation, environmental concerns, and the political implications of industry. The result is a fusion of metallic strength and alien beauty, a work that invites contemplation of new realities and the evolving relationship between humanity, technology, and nature.

This wall-mounted sculpture exemplifies Daskalakis’s innovative approach, situating him firmly within the realm of contemporary international art and design.

Thomas Daskalakis’s x_xThomas transforms a white car hood into a provocative wall sculpture that blurs the boundaries between personal expression and social critique. Part of his New Toys series, the piece is a chaotic yet deliberate amalgamation of tags, symbols, and phrases, rendered in bright, candy-like colors that deceptively veil the darker undertones beneath.

Daskalakis humorously refers to this work as his “Tombstone,” highlighting its deeply egocentric and macabre nature. Among the graffiti-like markings are recurring motifs: “ACAB,” “1312,” smiley faces, hearts, and fictional crew names. These playful elements coexist with a raw, rebellious energy emblematic of street culture and urban resistance. Grungy, unpolished sections of the hood—adorned with minimalist smiley faces—embrace imperfection and hint at the grit of city life.

This piece reflects Daskalakis’s ongoing exploration of architecture, modes of transportation, and youth-driven resistance. The car hood, a symbol of mobility and power, becomes a canvas for progressive, politically charged art, connecting themes of rebellion, street aesthetics, and the transient nature of modern urban existence.

With its combination of grunge, steel, and soft yet unsettling hues, x_xThomas stands as a dynamic example of street culture evolving into a sophisticated art form, cementing Daskalakis’s reputation as an emerging artist with a hard-edged, uncompromising vision.