ALEXI TSIORIS | DWELL RAW

Livie Gallery is pleased to present Alexi Tsioris’ third exhibition Dwell Raw in Zurich, showcasing a new series of paintings on canvas in dialogue with his latest monotypes on paper. The work of Tsioris has seen a remarkable evolution since his first show with Livie Gallery, while maintaining a steadfast grounding in materiality and archaic mark making.

In his debut show at the gallery in 2020, Tsioris introduced his distinctive sgraffito technique, where lines, figures, and abstract forms emerged through meticulous engraving on canvas. The process of uncovering hidden layers reflected the Greek origin of the word apocalypse, meaning “to reveal or unveil”. Tsioris’ work has consistently focused on unveiling the unseen, drawing attention to the traces left behind, as well as to the tension between the visible and the invisible.
For his second exhibition, Mythos Alpha, Tsioris expanded his visual language, developing a personal mark-making vocabulary that intertwined mythical, hieroglyphic, and poetic references. This exhibition also marked his introduction of drawings—works rooted in the artist’s earliest practice, with the sketchbook remaining a crucial tool in his creative process. In every one of his paintings, sculptures or monotypes, the line, as both a form and a gesture, plays a central role.

In this new body of work, titled Dwell Raw, Tsioris explores the notion of rawness—not only in the physicality of the unprimed canvas but also in his process of creation. The familiar figures from his earlier works begin to dissolve into fragmented forms, stripped down to their essence. These simplified clusters and organic structures interact and react to one another, becoming autonomous entities that occupy the canvas as though they were living organisms. This approach evokes the spontaneity and intimacy of a snapshot or a diary entry—preserved in the form of a visual poem.
The works juxtapose the fluidity of oil paint, bold and organic, against the dry, textured marks of charcoal and red chalk—materials that reference ancient painting traditions. Together, these elements merge at the edges of the unprimed canvas, creating an interplay of form and surface that recalls the work of artists using mark-making in their artistic practice, such as Cy Twombly and Julie Mehretu. The resulting figures, poised at the edge of abstraction and figuration, hover between recognition and ambiguity, inviting the viewer to explore their shifting identities.
The exhibition is held together by a subtle, yet powerful sign language that knits the works into a cohesive whole. As visitors move through the space, they are encouraged to pause, to dwell, and to immerse themselves in the raw, evolving structures that Tsioris has created—inviting contemplation and reflection.

Read the German version of the text here.