C24 Gallery is proud to present Transformation, the first solo exhibition in the United States by German artist Mike Dargas. On view will be large scale oil on canvas paintings produced in the artist’s signature style of realism.

In Transformation, Mike Dargas explores the process of change – a fundamental and inevitable circumstance of life. Having gone through recent major changes in his own life, the artist examines the moment of personal transformation: the struggle, the hope, and the fear. This new body of work aims to visually capture a feeling that is difficult to explain, but universally felt.

This exhibition presents oversized, hyper-realistic portraits of people that challenge the viewer to consider the artist’s rigorous technique. Upon first glance, Dargas’ masterly use of color shading and blending, rich with nuances, sharpen the view of the picturesque leaving the impression of a photograph– a moment captured in time. A closer observation confirms the large scale painting of portraits established by macroscopically precise details. Each individual portrait manages to convey intimate, implied surreal atmospheres fusing the relationship between art, imagination, and reality. The visually exciting paintings reflect the emotional and dramatic life of the painter, and therefore the subject, at various points in time.

Mike Dargas was born in 1983 in Cologne, Germany. Inspired by artists such as Dali, Carvaggio and HR Giger, Mike Dargas has studied various painting techniques since his early childhood when he developed a passion for realism, which over the years as developed in to hyper-realism. He attracted attention at age eleven recreating old master paintings with pastel and chalk on the pavement in front of Cologne Cathedral. Shortly after, Dargas graduated in his youth from an adult art class after only one and a half years. Through these classes coupled with independent study, Dargas has learned and honed different techniques in painting and three dimensional art.

Mike Dargas has exhibited internationally throughout Germany, Belgium, London, Spain, Turkey, and Austria. His works are included in numerous private collections and have been featured in international art fairs such as Contemporary Istanbul, Art Miami, Stroke, and Art New York. Transformation marks his first solo exhibition in the United States.

Mike Dargas continues to work in his studio in Cologne, Germany.