His art is like himself: curios, perfectionistic and realistic.
Mike Dargas about his extraordinary hyper realistic paintings
How and why did you get into the painting Industry? Where did you study, etc?
I paint since I was a young boy, it’s the first thing I remember from my childhood.
I used to draw and paint a lot in kindergarden and one day when she came
to pick me up the teacher showed a whole wall painting to her. I had painted the
story of the Jungle Book, that I had seen shortly before. At the age of 11 I was
accepted at an art school that I could join for 1,5 years. I was the only child in
an adult class. In the end I never studied art but I never stopped painting and
exploring different styles and techniques. Even when I had my own tattoo studio
in Cologne (Germany) I focussed on portraits. Art is my passion ever since.
How would you describe your painting style?
As a realtistic painter I focus on large-format portraits. My current series shows
mostly female faces with different liquids.
How varied are your paintings?
I see a great variety in every portrait I do. Every face is beautiful and unique.
Do you have a signature touch with your paintings?
My paintings combine realistic technique and photographic characteristics and
is influenced by media, fashion and my personal life. I do seek perfection but
more do I seek the soul within each person portrayed.
What do you love about being a painter?
I love the freedom of creating.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I am influenced by my everyday life, media and fashion. For the current series I
had valuable raw materials, like gold and oil, on my mind. I used honey at first
and was amazed by the effect. It was intoxicating.
What are some of your most popular paintings?
I started the honey series with a diptych of „The Ecstasy of Gold“ and „Black
Gold“ that was very successful. It is great to directly see the reactions through
social media. I personally enjoy every new piece because I always try to improve
my technique from work to work. It is always the latest piece I enjoy the most.
Is there anything exciting that you are working
on at the moment that you can tell us about?
I am working on new motifs with different materials. Right now I am exploring
plastic tape.
What is your philosophy on art and life?
Never stop improving.
What are your painting dreams/goals?
I wish to always work as an artist and hope to exhibit on every continent.
Describe yourself in three words.
Curious – perfectionistic – realistic.
