Patrick Devonas was born in Lucerne Switzerland in 1965.
He received his under graduate degree in illustration from BYU in 1990 and went on to study art with Steve Levin, Richard Lack and Annette Le Suer. He then received his MFA degree from the New York academy of art in 1997, where the teachings of Randolph Melick and Vincent Desiderio had a significant impact on him.
Immediately after his graduation and ever since, Patrick engaged in painting and sculpting various commissions large and small to make ends meet. He also taught classes on figure drawing, figure painting, human anatomy and human figure structure in several schools across the US.
In 2012, after 26 years, Patrick decided to return to his homeland Switzerland. Since his return, his keen interest in figurative sculpture has led him to explore working in stone.
His work may best be described as surreal, yet steeped in the traditional techniques of the old masters. The venetian painting techniques during Renaissance times suit him best, because there the underpainting process can remain more or less flexible, which can lead to an extention of freedom within the creative process.
Patrick`s interest in mankind`s dealings with philosophical uncertainties and the subsequent emergence of psychological patterns, is made manifest in many of his works. He might as well be a commentary writer who paints and sculpts about what seems real to him while awake or asleep.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.