Interview
Lilia Larcos
Lilia Larcos is a Sydney-based artist working in contemporary figurative painting, exploring colour, character and visual narrative. Born in Cyprus and shaped by her childhood in South Africa, Larcos developed an early sensitivity to both storytelling and the natural world. Surrounded by mythology, history and close encounters with wildlife, she formed a visual language grounded in contrast and reality is often reimagined through imagination. Before returning to her fine art practice, Larcos built a successful career in the creative industry, founding a boutique advertising agency in Cyprus. Her background in concept creation, branding and visual storytelling continues to inform her work, bringing clarity, structure and intent to her expressive style. Her paintings, spanning both animals and human figures are character-driven and emotionally charged. She transforms her subjects into expressive presences, often placing them in subtly unexpected or playful contexts.
Through bold colour, dynamic brushwork and layered composition, her work balances elegance with a sense of mischief, inviting the viewer to look beyond the surface. Larcos has exhibited in groups exhibitions internationally, with highlights including the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM) in Barcelona, the Venice International Art Fair, the International Contemporary Art Fair in Monaco, London. Upcoming exhibitions include the Milan Contemporary Art Fair and a Times Square billboard exhibition in New York. Her work has also been featured in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Artio – Art & Culture Magazine (Canada), and Arts & Style Magazine. Larcos continues to develop a distinctive visual language that sits between refinement and play where subjects hold presence, personality and an unmistakable sense of life.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“My background is shaped by contrast, both culturally and creatively. I was born in Cyprus and loved mythology. My early years in South Africa also played a quiet but important role. Being surrounded by wild animals and vast, open landscapes gave me a deep visual memory that I still draw from today. There was something powerful and unspoken in those encounters, something that stayed with me long after. As a child, I was constantly drawing on anything I could find. My parents encouraged that instinct and I grew up seeing creativity as something natural, not something separate or reserved. I entered art competitions and won many of them, but at the time, it didn’t feel like a ‘path’ it was simply how I existed. Professionally, my journey into the art world wasn’t direct. I first built a career in graphic design and founded my boutique advertising agency where I spent years developing concepts, building brands and telling visual stories. That experience shaped how I think, how I construct an idea, how I create impact, but it also kept pulling me back to something more personal. Over time, painting became less of a side expression and more of a necessity. I found myself wanting to create work that wasn’t driven by a brief or an outcome, but by instinct and curiosity.”
What inspires you?
“I’m inspired by imagination, humour and unexpected connections. My mind tends to wander in a very visual and playful way. I can be watching something quite classical, like an opera and suddenly reinterpret it entirely. The Barber of Seville might quietly turn into ‘The Baa-baa Barber’ in my head and paint a goat. Or I will notice a man walking down the street with his dog, in blue sunglasses, a scarf and instead of focusing on him, I start imagining the personality of the dog beside him. I’m very drawn to contrast. Strength and softness, elegance and humour, control and absurdity. A powerful bull confronted with something as delicate as a ball of wool, those kinds of juxtapositions intrigue me. There’s a tension in them, but also a kind of quiet comedy. Animals are central to my work because they allow me to explore all of this freely. They become characters rather than subjects. I can give them attitude, vulnerability, humour sometimes all at once, without limitation. I don’t approach inspiration in a structured way. It’s more observational, instinctive. I notice small moments, gestures, odd pairings and then I let my imagination shift them slightly, just enough to create something unexpected. Ultimately, I am inspired by the idea of taking the familiar and giving it a twist, something that feels elegant at first glance, but reveals a sense of personality and play the longer you look.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I’m drawn to themes of contrast, personality and quiet transformation. At the centre of my work are animals, but not as we typically see them. I am interested in shifting their role, from subject to character. I give them presence, attitude, sometimes even a sense of theatre. Through them, I explore very human qualities, confidence, vulnerability, humour, curiosity. There is often a tension in my work between strength and softness. A powerful animal placed in a gentle or unexpected context, or a moment where something bold reveals a quieter, more introspective side. I am fascinated by that balance, where opposites meet and something new emerges. Humour also plays an important role. Not in an obvious or loud way, but as a subtle undercurrent. A small twist, a visual contradiction, a detail that slightly disrupts the expected. I like the idea that a piece can feel elegant and composed at first glance and then slowly reveal its personality. If there is an underlying message, it’s that identity is layered. Nothing is purely one thing. Strength can hold softness, beauty can have wit and even the most composed exterior can carry something playful or unexpected beneath it. Ultimately, my work invites the viewer to look twice, to move beyond the surface and discover something a little more human, a little more alive.”
How would you describe your work?
“I would describe my work as contemporary figurative painting that explores colour, character and visual narrative. While animals are a strong and recognisable presence in my work, I also paint human figures, and I approach both in a similar way. I’m less interested in simply depicting a subject, and more in revealing a sense of personality, something internal, expressive and slightly unexpected. Visually, I work with bold colour, movement and expressive brushstrokes to build energy into the piece. I am not aiming for perfection, but for presence, for something that feels alive and emotionally charged. Ultimately, my work is about character. Creating subjects, human or animal that hold attention, invite curiosity, and reveal more the longer you look.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I’m influenced by artists who create distinct worlds! Salvador Dalí and René Magritte have always fascinated me for the way they challenge reality. There’s a poetic logic in their surrealism that I connect with the idea that an image can feel both familiar and completely unexpected at the same time. Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall inspire me in a different way. Picasso for his fearless reinvention and ability to break form in order to express something deeper and Chagall for his dreamlike storytelling, his work feels emotional which I find incredibly powerful. I’m also drawn to artists like Gustav Klimt, for his sense of beauty and ornamentation and Yayoi Kusama, for her bold, immersive visual language and unapologetic individuality. Fernando Botero is another influence, particularly in the way he exaggerates form to create presence and personality. There’s a confidence and clarity in his work that I admire. What connects all of these artists, for me, is their ability to move beyond representation. They don’t just depict, they interpret, distort, elevate and reimagine. That freedom to create a world, rather than simply reflect one, is something I’m constantly inspired by in my own practice.”
What is your creative process like?
“My process usually begins with a thought, often something small, observed or slightly unexpected and then my imagination shifts it. I might see a moment, a person, or even something quite ordinary and then I instinctively add a twist to it. A sense of humour often comes in at that stage. I will start asking myself, what if? What if this animal had that personality? What if this scene was pushed just slightly off reality? That’s where the idea begins to take shape. From there, I move into research. Because I don’t have animals sitting for me, I spend time sourcing reference images, studying posture, anatomy, expression. It’s important for me to understand the subject well enough so that when I reinterpret it, it still feels believable. I then sketch out the composition and begin painting, but I don’t follow a rigid plan. The work evolves as I go. Sometimes, I even ‘blame the painting’ when it starts taking its own direction, it becomes a bit of a conversation between me and the canvas. I build the piece through layers, adjusting, refining and responding to what feels right rather than what was originally intended. The goal is always to reach a point where the work has presence where it feels alive, with its own personality. So while the starting point might be quite light or playful, the process itself is thoughtful and considered, balancing imagination with observation.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I think an artist’s role is to shift the way we see, to take what is familiar and reveal something new within it. Art has the ability to pause people, even briefly and in that pause there is space to feel, to reflect, or simply to notice something they may have overlooked. In a world that moves quickly and often prioritises function over feeling, that in itself is valuable. For me, it’s not about delivering a fixed message, but about opening a door. Through character, contrast and a sense of play, I try to create work that invites curiosity something that draws you in and then gently unsettles or surprises you. I also think artists have a role in preserving individuality. With everything becoming more fast, digital and at times, uniform, there is something important about creating work that is personal, expressive and unmistakably human. That sense of a ‘hand’ behind the work is becoming more meaningful, not less. As for how it’s evolving, I see artists today not just as creators, but as storytellers, thinkers and even world-builders. We’re no longer confined to one medium or one space, we can share ideas globally, instantly. But at the same time, I think there’s a growing desire for authenticity, for work that feels real, considered and deeply individual. Ultimately, I see the artist’s role as creating moments, moments of connection, of surprise, of recognition. Even something as simple as a small smile or a second look can be enough.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I have been fortunate to have my work exhibited both locally and internationally and that global dialogue has been an important part of my journey. Recent highlights include exhibitions at the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM) in Barcelona, the Venice International Art Fair and the International Contemporary Art Fair in Monaco. In London, my work was shown in group exhibitions and in Australia at Mosman Art Gallery, which holds personal significance for me being based in Sydney. Looking ahead, I am excited to be part of the Milan Contemporary Art Fair in April 2026, as well as a Times Square billboard exhibition in New York in May 2026, both of which feel like meaningful milestones in expanding the reach of my work to new audiences. Alongside exhibitions, I have also been featured in publications such as Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Artio – Art & Culture Magazine in Canada, and Arts & Style Magazine, which has been a wonderful way to share my work in a more narrative and editorial context. I see each exhibition as an opportunity for the work to evolve beyond the studio, to connect, resonate and find its place in different parts of the world.”
Website: www.liliasgallery.com
Instagram: @lilialarcosart
