Konstantinos Doumpenidis


Visual Artist and Creative Director
Live and work in Athens, Greece 

Creative Director of Juicer Studio
Part of Esto Association

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Artist Statement

I approach the world through themes of interconnectedness, exploring the subtle ways histories, environments, and systems shape our surroundings. My interest lies in tracing relationships— between people and places, past and present, nature and human intervention—and uncovering the stories that reside within these connections. These inquiries allow space to reflect on the delicate balance of coexistence and the tensions that often disrupt it.

Materials and their histories hold particular significance for me. Found objects, archival elements, and digital mediums often surface, chosen for their ability to carry layered meanings. By assembling and reinterpreting these elements, I seek to unearth hidden narratives, revealing the interplay of forces that shape them. This process invites a closer look at the overlooked or seemingly ordinary, offering a chance to see familiar things anew.

A recurring focus is the intersection of ecology and social systems. Questions about environmental fragility, systemic inequalities, and collective responsibility form the foundation of my explorations. These threads weave through the work as I attempt to understand the broader structures that influence our lives. The aim is not to solve but to engage—creating space for reflection and a deeper understanding of shared responsibilities.

Collaboration is central to this journey. Exchanges with individuals, communities, and researchers bring new layers of meaning and perspective, often steering my approach in unexpected directions. These collaborations emphasize the value of dialogue and shared knowledge, underscoring the belief that insight emerges through connection and exchange.

My thinking is shaped by critical theory and narratives of resilience, with particular interest in the Anthropocene, decolonization, and the commons. These frameworks guide my exploration of power dynamics and their ripple effects across different scales—from personal interactions to global systems. They provide a lens through which I attempt to question established narratives and explore alternative ways of being.

The process often involves seeking out what is hidden or marginalized—spaces and stories that challenge dominant discourses. In turning attention to these quieter places, I hope to create openings for curiosity and reimagining. Rather than providing definitive answers, I aim to cultivate moments of connection, where new ideas might take root.

At its core, my approach is about navigation—charting paths through the complex web of relationships that define existence. It’s a process of understanding how we are tied to one another, to the natural world, and to the systems we inhabit. This exploration is a way of imagining possibilities—of envisioning futures that embrace care, empathy, and the potential for transformation.

Facts about orange



The color orange radiates warmth and happiness, combining the physical energy and stimulation of red with the cheerfulness of yellow. The color psychology of orange is optimistic and uplifting, rejuvenating our spirit. Psychologists insist that orange is so optimistic that we should all find ways to use it in our everyday life. Orange brings spontaneity and a positive outlook on things and is a great color to use during tough times, keeping us motivated and helping us to look on the bright side of life. With its enthusiasm for life, the color orange relates to adventure and risk-taking, inspiring confidence and independence. Those inspired by orange are always on the go!

This point of views seems to be common in Europe and America where orange and yellow are the colors most associated with amusement, frivolity and entertainment. As a historic example, Toulouse-Lautrec used a palette of yellow, black and orange in his posters of Paris cafes and theatres, and Henri Matisse used an orange, yellow and red palette in the Joy of Living. Regarding religions and ancient cultures assosiated with orange, in Confucianism the philosophy of ancient China, orange was the color of transformation.

In Buddhism orange was about illumination, the highest state of perfection. The orange colors of robes to be worn by monks were defined by the Buddha himself and his followers in the 5th century BC. The robe and its color is a sign of renunciation of the outside world and commitment to the order.

In modern times of 20th century orange turned to be used in more practical aspects. The high visibility of orange made it a popular color for certain kinds of equipment. Orange was also widely worn by workers on highways and by cyclists to avoid being hit by cars, and for the flights suits of the crews of the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station during the 1980s. During the Second World War, U.S. Navy pilots in the Pacific began to wear orange inflatable life jackets, which could be spotted by search and rescue planes. A herbicide called Agent Orange was widely sprayed from aircraft by the Royal Air Force during the Malayan Emergency and the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War to remove the forest and jungle cover beneath which enemy combatants were believed to be hiding, and to expose their supply routes.

Orange also had a political dimension. In Ukraine in November–December 2004, it became the color of the Orange Revolution, a popular movement which carried activist and reformer Viktor Yushchenko into the presidency. Prisoners are also sometimes dressed in orange uniforms since 1970s — usually only in special detention situations as for example in transit. Sheriffs sometimes put prisoners in orange during perp walks in front of reporters, and prisoners often wear orange in court. Detainees held at the US-run Guantanamo Bay detention camp are typically issued one of two uniforms, either a white jumpsuit if the prisoner has been labelled “compliant”, or an orange jumpsuit if the detainee has been labelled “non-compliant”.

The orange jumpsuits of detainees is supposed to be the main reason why ISIS put orange clothes on people before beheading them, as a propaganda tool against Guantanamo Bay. It is a symbolic gesture of the militant rage against the detention and torture of terror suspects in Guantanamo. The US seems to have always had suspects wear orange, and soon Al Qaeda and other militant groups took to dressing their captives in it too.

Simultaneously, orange because of its visibility in dim light or against the water, is consequently known as safety orange, the colour of choice for life-jackets apparently the most necessary items of the equipment of refugees hoping to reach Europe by sea. During the refugees crisis the Turkish police have uncovered a factory producing fake life-jackets, shining a light on a booming cottage industry that has emerged as a by product of the refugee crisis. Police allegedly seized 1,263 life-jackets filled with non-buoyant materials from an illegal workshop in Izmir that employed two Syrian children. It seems like in a way Syrian people produce their life-jackets by themselves. In the same period bodies of people washed up on turkish and greek beaches, having drowned in their attempt to reach freedom.

Safety orange does not seem to be safe any more.