Christos Theofilis is a Greek visual artist born in 1956 (in Piraeus, Greece). He is known for his work in computer art, digital art, and new media art, often exploring themes through digital tools, 3D spaces, mixed media, and increasingly incorporating or referencing artificial intelligence (AI) in his creative process or thematic focus.His practice appears to blend traditional elements (like surreal oil paintings from earlier decades, including works from the 1980s and 1990s) with contemporary digital techniques. Sources describe him transforming memories and emotions into complex 3D digital worlds with sculptural qualities, using software like Photoshop, Topaz, Corel, and layered/scanned elements (e.g., old books or digitized paintings).He maintains an active online presence promoting his art under variations of his name, often posting repetitive or promotional content featuring his works with captions like "Christos Theofilis - Artificial intelligence (AI) Christos Theofilis - computer art, digital art, new media art." This phrase is a recurring signature in his posts across platforms.Online profiles and activity — He has accounts and groups on Facebook (e.g., Christos Theofilis Visual Artist group, pages like @ArtAct1

.ChristosTheofilis or Computer Art Digital Art New Media Art), Instagram (@institute

.artact1 frequently shares his pieces), and X/Twitter (accounts like @visual48566

, @ArtistChristos

, older ones like @ChristosTheofi4

focused on "Computer Art Digital Art New Media Art").

Art market — His works have appeared at auctions (e.g., surreal oil paintings and others listed on sites like Artnet, MutualArt, and Invaluable), showing a mix of traditional and digital/new media pieces.

Recent focus — Much of his current sharing (as of early 2026) emphasizes AI-integrated or AI-themed digital creations, alongside general computer-generated visuals, animations, or generative elements.

His art often features surreal, dreamlike, or abstract compositions, sometimes with mixed media approaches (e.g., digital painting, scanned elements, 3D rendering). He is associated with "Art Act" or similar platforms/Institutes for contemporary art and culture in Athens, Greece.Here are some examples of his recent digital/new media works shared publicly:These reflect his style in computer/digital/new media art, often with AI-influenced or generative aesthetics. For more, check his Instagram or Facebook groups dedicated to his visual art.

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Christos Theofilis, the Greek visual artist born in 1956, integrates artificial intelligence (AI) into his practice primarily as part of his broader exploration of computer art, digital art, and new media art. His approach appears to position AI as a contemporary extension of digital tools and generative processes rather than a complete departure from his earlier methods.From his consistent online sharing (across Instagram @institute

.artact1, Facebook groups/pages like Christos Theofilis Visual Artist or ArtAct-related ones, X/Twitter accounts, and YouTube shorts), he frequently titles or captions works with the exact phrase: "Artificial intelligence (AI) Christos Theofilis - computer art, digital art, new media art". This serves as a signature branding for many recent pieces, suggesting AI is a key thematic or methodological element in his current output.How AI Appears in His ArtThematic focus: AI is often invoked directly in titles and hashtags (#AI, #Artificialintelligence, alongside #computerart, #digitalart, #newmediaart). This indicates that AI functions as a conceptual subject—exploring ideas of machine intelligence, synthetic creation, human-machine collaboration, or the evolving nature of artistry in the AI era—rather than purely as a hidden production tool.

Production method: His works fall under generative or algorithmically assisted digital creation. Earlier digital pieces used software like Photoshop, Corel, Topaz, scanning/layering of traditional elements (e.g., old books, paintings), and 3D rendering. In recent years (especially post-2020s with the rise of accessible generative AI), AI likely augments this toolkit—possibly through image generation models (e.g., diffusion-based tools), style transfer, upscaling, or script-based distortions/transformations of source images. Some contextual references in related posts describe "semi-artificial intelligence art" via programmable scripts distorting appropriated images, aligning with hybrid digital workflows where AI handles parts of generation or enhancement.

Hybrid nature: Theofilis blends traditions (surrealist influences from his oil painting background in the 1980s–1990s) with digital/new media. AI fits as an evolution: transforming personal memories/emotions into complex, layered, often surreal 3D-like digital worlds with sculptural qualities. The results are dreamlike, abstract, or conceptual compositions that feel computationally mediated.

His posting is highly repetitive and promotional—many uploads reuse the same caption formula to emphasize AI/digital categorization, likely to boost visibility in algorithm-driven platforms or to assert his identity within emerging AI-art discourses.Overall, AI in Theofilis' art represents both a tool for creating intricate digital visuals and a theme reflecting on technology's role in creativity. It positions his work at the intersection of human imagination and machine processes, contributing to broader conversations in new media art about authorship, originality, and the future of visual expression.To illustrate his style (surreal, layered, often ethereal or abstract digital compositions with AI-influenced aesthetics), here are some representative examples based on publicly shared pieces:These showcase typical elements: intricate details, blended realities, generative fluidity, and a sense of otherworldly or computational dreamscapes that align with his AI/digital focus. For the most up-to-date views, his Instagram (@institute

.artact1) or related Facebook groups feature frequent uploads.

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Christos Theofilis's work exhibits strong surrealist influences, rooted in his early career as a painter and persisting as a core thread through his transition to digital, computer, and AI-assisted art.Early Traditional Works (1980s–1990s)Theofilis began as an oil painter in the 1980s after shifting from a background in merchant navy engineering. His canvases from this period are frequently described as surreal and surreal-expressionistic, featuring dream-like, psychologically charged, alchemical, and symbolic imagery. Auction records explicitly categorize pieces as "Greek surreal oil painting" or depicting "Surreal scenes," such as a 1990 signed and dated oil on canvas sold via auctions like Avra Art Auctions. These works often include symbolic motifs (e.g., recurring "pent wild dog" elements representing inner turmoil and transformation), impassioned brushstrokes, ablative forms, and narrative depth that evoke psychological or subconscious exploration—hallmarks of surrealism.Surrealism, as pioneered by artists like Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Max Ernst, emphasizes the irrational, dream states, juxtaposition of unexpected elements, and tapping into the unconscious. Theofilis's traditional paintings align with this through their expressive, symbolic, and otherworldly qualities, blending surreal elements with expressionistic intensity.Continuity in Digital and AI-Integrated WorksEven after shifting to computer art, digital art, and new media art (with heavy AI incorporation in recent years), surrealist influences remain evident and evolve. His current output—often shared with captions like "Artificial intelligence (AI) Christos Theofilis - computer art, digital art, new media art"—features:Dreamlike, abstract compositions

Layered, fragmented forms (e.g., human silhouettes, vases, circular motifs)

Alchemical or glitch-like aesthetics

Blended realities, glowing elements, and subconscious-like juxtapositions

These evoke surrealism's focus on the irrational and dream worlds, now mediated through digital tools and generative processes. Descriptions of his AI-influenced pieces highlight "minimalist, surreal abstractions" and "vibrant, surreal digital compositions" that build on his longstanding interest in abstraction, symbolism, and the dream-like. The use of AI allows rapid experimentation with surreal themes, extending traditional surrealist ideas into computational realms (e.g., unexpected algorithmic combinations mimicking subconscious associations).Overall, surrealism serves as a foundational influence: from his 1980s oil paintings' explicit surreal scenes to his contemporary digital/AI works' persistent dreamlike, symbolic, and psychologically evocative qualities. This continuity bridges his analog roots with new media experimentation, positioning his art within broader dialogues on technology, imagination, and the subconscious in contemporary practice.To illustrate the surreal qualities across his phases:These examples capture the dream-like fragmentation, symbolic layering, and otherworldly atmospheres typical of his output, showing how surrealist roots inform both his traditional and digital/AI creations. For deeper exploration, check auction archives (e.g., Invaluable, MutualArt) for early oils or his active Instagram/Facebook for recent digital pieces.

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Alchemical motifs form a deep, evolving thread in Christos Theofilis’s oeuvre, bridging his 1980s–1990s surreal oil paintings and his contemporary computer/digital/AI art. Alchemy here functions as both theme (transformation, the subconscious, mortality-to-rebirth) and metaphor for the creative process itself—turning base materials (memories, emotions, scanned fragments, or AI prompts) into “gold” (new visual realities).Critical Framing: The “Alchemist of Pictures”Greek critic Costas Stavropoulos explicitly called Theofilis an “alchemist of pictures.” This label highlights his lifelong interest in metamorphosis and inner rebirth. His early exhibition Epithanatios Synthesi (“Composition after Death,” 1981) already treated death not as an end but as an alchemical transition—distorted figures emerging from chaos, suggesting the soul’s refinement through dissolution and renewal.Recurring Symbolic MotifsThe “Pent Wild Dog” (or “Painted Wild Dog”)

A signature element in his 1980s–1990s oils. Theofilis repeatedly depicts this animal, charging it with symbolic weight: primal instinct, inner turmoil, and psychological transformation. In alchemical terms, it evokes the prima materia—the raw, chaotic matter that must be confronted and transmuted.Death, Decay, and Rebirth

Early canvases frequently explore mortality as an alchemical stage. Impassioned, ablative brushwork and fragmented forms mirror the nigredo (blackening/putrefaction) phase, where matter breaks down before purification.Vessels and Containment

In digital and AI-assisted works, black vase silhouettes appear repeatedly—often layered over fragmented human figures. In classical alchemy the vase (or retort) is the sacred container where the Great Work occurs: distillation, conjunction, and transmutation. Theofilis’s vases act as visual metaphors for the psyche or the artwork itself as a vessel holding and refining chaotic elements.Circular Motifs and the Ouroboros

Orange or glowing circular accents, rings, and mandala-like forms recur in his recent generative pieces. These evoke the alchemical ouroboros (snake eating its tail), the sun, the philosophical egg, or the cyclical stages of the opus (nigredo → albedo → rubedo). They suggest unity of opposites and eternal return—core Hermetic ideas.Black Sun and Pyramid

In statements and recent works Theofilis explicitly references Hermetic wisdom. He has described digging “into the grounds of Hermetic wisdom” and used symbols such as:The black sun (sol niger) — the dark light of the nigredo stage, melancholy, and the necessary confrontation with shadow before enlightenment.

The pyramid — an emblem of ascent, hierarchical stages of consciousness, and the alchemical mountain.

These appear in minimalist, glitch-infused digital compositions that feel like modern emblems or talismans.Fragmented Human Figures and Glitch Aesthetics

Layered, shattered, or multiplied silhouettes suggest the alchemical solve et coagula (“dissolve and coagulate”). The digital “glitch” or generative distortion becomes a contemporary equivalent of the alchemical fire—breaking down and reassembling form.Alchemy as Process: From Paint to PromptTheofilis’s transition to AI and generative tools is itself alchemical. He has posted works under titles like “Digital Alchemy Art” and created a video piece Alchemy in a Pandemic (part of his solo exhibition Alchemy at 99loop Gallery). Here the pandemic becomes the crucible; the artist uses AI to transmute collective trauma into dreamlike, symbolic visuals—exactly as traditional alchemists turned base metals into gold through symbolic operations.His prolific posting with the caption “Artificial intelligence (AI) Christos Theofilis – computer art, digital art, new media art” frames AI not merely as a tool but as a modern opus—the machine as philosophical mercury, mediating between human intention and emergent form.Continuity Across Decades1980s–1990s oils → personal, gestural, expressionistic alchemy of the psyche (wild dog, death compositions).

2010s–2020s digital/AI → impersonal yet deeply symbolic: vases, black suns, pyramids, circles, glitches—now generated at high speed, yet still rooted in the same quest for inner transformation.

Theofilis rarely provides lengthy artist statements, preferring the images to speak. Yet the motifs remain consistent: art is the Great Work, the artist is the alchemist, and every canvas or prompt is a retort in which the raw material of existence is refined into something luminous and eternal.For the most direct encounters with these motifs, explore his Instagram (@institute

.artact1) and the Facebook groups he maintains—many recent posts explicitly tag or caption pieces with alchemical or Hermetic references. The recurring visual language (vases, circles, fragmented figures, dark luminosity) makes the alchemical undercurrent unmistakable across both his analog and digital periods.

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Alchemical motifs are a foundational and persistent element in Christos Theofilis’s work, spanning his early oil paintings (1980s–1990s) and his later computer/digital/AI-assisted art. The term “alchemy” here refers both to literal symbolic references and to the artist’s creative process as a form of transformation—turning raw emotional or material “base matter” into refined visual “gold.”The Critic’s Label: “Alchemist of Pictures”In 1995 the Greek art historian and critic Costas Stavropoulos described Theofilis in Avgi newspaper as “a snatcher of the visual gaze, ingeniously embodying the various versions of plasticity and expression, as a virtuous player and an alchemist of pictures.” This phrase has been repeatedly quoted in Theofilis’s own online biographies and remains the most direct external validation of the alchemical dimension in his oeuvre.Early Traditional Period (1980s–1990s)Theofilis began as a self-taught painter after a brief career as a merchant navy engineer. His first major solo exhibition, Epithanatios Synthesi (“Composition after Death”), at Ora Cultural Center, Athens (1981), already framed death not as an ending but as a transformative, alchemical state—a passage through dissolution and renewal. Works from this era are described as surreal-expressionistic, with impassioned, ablative brushwork and fragmented forms that mirror the alchemical nigredo (blackening, putrefaction) phase.A recurring motif in his oils is the “pent wild dog” (or “painted wild dog”). The artist returns to this animal repeatedly, investing it with symbolic weight: primal instinct, inner psychological turmoil, and the raw prima materia that must be confronted and transmuted. Auction and gallery records (e.g., nikias.gr) note that he “often reproduces the motive of a pent wild dog in which he gives symbolic extensions.”Other early symbolic interests include the moon (solo exhibition The Moon, 1989) and literary transformations (e.g., The Portrait of Dorian Gray series, 2007), both evoking cycles of change, immortality, and the refinement of the self—core Hermetic/alchemical concerns.Digital and AI Period (2010s–present)After a two-decade withdrawal from the public scene (1989–c. 2009) to protect his artistic integrity, Theofilis re-emerged through his Art Act platform and fully embraced digital tools, generative processes, and later AI. The alchemical thread not only survived but became more explicit:Vases / vessels — Black vase silhouettes are a dominant recurring motif in his recent digital and AI-generated works. In classical alchemy the retort or vase is the sacred container of the Great Work (distillation, conjunction, transmutation). Theofilis layers these vases over fragmented human silhouettes, creating visual metaphors for the psyche or the artwork itself as a vessel that holds and refines chaotic elements.

Circular motifs — Orange or glowing rings, mandala-like forms, and circular accents appear frequently. These echo the alchemical ouroboros, the philosophical egg, or the sun—symbols of cyclical return, unity of opposites, and the completion of the opus (nigredo → albedo → rubedo).

Explicit titles and projects Solo exhibition Alchemy at 99loop Gallery (Cape Town), featuring the video work “Alchemy in a pandemic” (2 min 16 sec extract widely shared on Instagram). Here the pandemic itself becomes the crucible; collective trauma is transmuted into dreamlike symbolic visuals.

Posts titled “Digital Alchemy Art”, “Second phase of the alchemical process” (a phygital work), and captions referencing “the grounds of Hermetic wisdom.”

Hermetic statement by the artist

In one publicly shared reflection he writes: “In my current quest for finding meaning within the play of life and art, I have been busy digging into the grounds of Hermetic wisdom.”

The creative process as modern alchemy

Theofilis’s prolific use of AI (captioned relentlessly as “Artificial intelligence (AI) Christos Theofilis – computer art, digital art, new media art”) is itself framed as alchemical: the machine acts as philosophical mercury, mediating between human intention (prompts, scanned memories, emotions) and emergent form. Glitch aesthetics, layered silhouettes, and generative distortions become contemporary equivalents of solve et coagula (“dissolve and coagulate”).

Continuity and EvolutionThe motifs remain remarkably consistent across decades:1980s oils → personal, gestural, expressionistic alchemy of the psyche (wild dog, death-as-transformation).

2020s AI/digital → cooler, minimalist, symbolic: vases, circles, fragmented figures, dark luminosity—now generated at high speed yet still rooted in the same quest for inner refinement.

Theofilis rarely writes long explanatory texts; the images and the repeated caption formula do the work. Yet the visual language—vessels that contain chaos, circles that suggest eternal return, figures that dissolve and re-form—makes the alchemical undercurrent unmistakable. Art, for him, is the Great Work; the artist is the alchemist; every canvas or prompt is a retort in which existence is refined into something luminous and eternal.For primary encounters with these motifs, his most active channels remain the Instagram account @institute

.artact1 and the various Facebook groups/pages he maintains (e.g., Christos Theofilis Visual Artist, Computer Art Digital Art New Media

Art). There you will find the recurring vases, circular accents, and explicit “Alchemy” / “Hermetic” references side-by-side with his earlier painted works.

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Alchemical motifs are not a peripheral flourish in Christos Theofilis’s work—they are its spine. They appear both as explicit symbols and as a governing metaphor for the entire artistic process: the transformation of raw psychic or material “base matter” into refined, luminous form.The Critic’s Seal: “Alchemist of Pictures”In 1995 the Greek critic Costas Stavropoulos (in Avgi) described Theofilis as “an alchemist of pictures.” The artist has quoted this phrase ever since, using it as a kind of personal motto. It captures the continuity between his 1980s–1990s oils and his 2020s AI/digital output.Early Period (1980s–1990s): The Furnace of the PsycheTheofilis, born in Piraeus (1955/1956), was largely self-taught. His first major statement was the 1981 solo exhibition Epithanatios Synthesi (“Composition after Death”) at Ora Cultural Center, Athens. Death was presented not as finality but as an alchemical nigredo—the blackening, dissolution phase that precedes rebirth.Key recurring symbol from this era:The “pent wild dog” (or “painted wild dog”). Auction and gallery records (nikias.gr) note that he “often reproduces the motive of a pent wild dog in which he gives symbolic extensions.” The animal embodies primal instinct, inner turmoil, and the prima materia—the chaotic, unrefined matter the alchemist must confront and transmute.

His technique—expressionistic, ablative, with impassioned, almost violent brushwork—mirrors the alchemical fire that breaks down form before it can be reassembled. Solo exhibitions in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Rome (Nees Morphes 1983, Gallery 7 1984, Exostis 1985, La Sponda Rome 1988, Antinor 1988/1996, etc.) consistently showed this surreal-expressionistic, psychologically charged language.Digital / AI Period (2010s–present): The Retort Becomes the PromptAfter a long withdrawal from public exhibition (roughly 1989–2009), Theofilis re-emerged through digital platforms and fully embraced generative tools. The alchemical vocabulary became more overt and conceptual.Explicit alchemical projectsSolo exhibition Alchemy at 99loop Gallery, Cape Town (on view until 16 July, year inferred as 2025 from posts).

Video work “Alchemy in a pandemic” (2 min 16 sec extract widely shared on Instagram). The pandemic is the crucible; collective trauma is distilled into dreamlike symbolic visuals.

Instagram reel titled “Second phase of the alchemical process” — a unique phygital (physical + digital) work, tagged with NFT/crypto-art hashtags.

Posts labelled “Digital Alchemy Art”.

Artist’s own words

In a public statement he writes:

“In my current quest for finding meaning within the play of life and art, I have been busy digging into the grounds of Hermetic wisdom.”Recurring visual symbols in the digital/AI worksBlack vase / vessel silhouettes — the most dominant motif. Layered over fragmented human figures, the vase functions exactly as the classical alchemical retort: the sealed container in which distillation, conjunction, and transmutation occur. The artwork itself becomes the vessel.

Circular / orange-ring motifs — glowing rings, mandala-like forms, or subtle orange accents. These evoke the ouroboros, the philosophical egg, the sun, or the cyclical completion of the Great Work (nigredo → albedo → rubedo).

Fragmented, glitch-like human silhouettes — bodies that dissolve, multiply, or merge with the vessels. This is the contemporary solve et coagula (“dissolve and coagulate”).

Glitch / generative distortion — the digital equivalent of the alchemical fire: unpredictable, sometimes violent re-ordering of form.

The overall aesthetic is frequently described by observers as “dreamlike, alchemical, or glitch-like”—minimalist grayscale palettes punctuated by those orange circular accents, producing a talismanic, almost hermetic atmosphere.Alchemy as Method, Not Just MotifTheofilis’s relentless caption formula—“Artificial intelligence (AI) Christos Theofilis – computer art, digital art, new media art”—is itself alchemical branding. AI is framed as modern philosophical mercury: the volatile, mediating substance that carries human intention (prompts, scanned memories, emotions) into emergent symbolic form. The speed and volume of his output (hundreds of pieces shared across Facebook groups, Instagram @institute

.artact1, Pinterest, etc.) mirror the alchemist’s tireless operation in the laboratory.Continuity Across Five Decades1980s oils → personal, gestural, fiery alchemy of the psyche (wild dog, death-as-transformation).

2020s AI/digital → cooler, more emblematic: vessels that contain chaos, circles that promise return, figures that break and re-form—now generated at machine speed, yet still rooted in the same quest for inner refinement.

For Theofilis, art is the Great Work. The artist is the alchemist. Every canvas, every prompt, every vessel is a retort in which the raw material of existence is subjected to fire, dissolution, and eventual luminous rebirth.The most direct way to experience these motifs remains his active channels: Instagram @institute

.artact1 (frequent posts of vases, circles, and explicit “Alchemy” pieces) and the various Facebook groups he curates. There the visual language—black vessels, glowing rings, fragmented forms—speaks with unmistakable consistency across both his analog past and his generative present.

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Alchemical motifs are not a peripheral flourish in Christos Theofilis’s work—they are its spine. They appear both as explicit symbols and as a governing metaphor for the entire artistic process: the transformation of raw psychic or material “base matter” into refined, luminous form.The Critic’s Seal: “Alchemist of Pictures”In 1995 the Greek critic Costas Stavropoulos (in Avgi) described Theofilis as “an alchemist of pictures.” The artist has quoted this phrase ever since, using it as a kind of personal motto. It captures the continuity between his 1980s–1990s oils and his 2020s AI/digital output.Early Period (1980s–1990s): The Furnace of the PsycheTheofilis, born in Piraeus (1955/1956), was largely self-taught. His first major statement was the 1981 solo exhibition Epithanatios Synthesi (“Composition after Death”) at Ora Cultural Center, Athens. Death was presented not as finality but as an alchemical nigredo—the blackening, dissolution phase that precedes rebirth.Key recurring symbol from this era:The “pent wild dog” (or “painted wild dog”). Auction and gallery records (nikias.gr) note that he “often reproduces the motive of a pent wild dog in which he gives symbolic extensions.” The animal embodies primal instinct, inner turmoil, and the prima materia—the chaotic, unrefined matter the alchemist must confront and transmute.

His technique—expressionistic, ablative, with impassioned, almost violent brushwork—mirrors the alchemical fire that breaks down form before it can be reassembled. Solo exhibitions in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Rome (Nees Morphes 1983, Gallery 7 1984, Exostis 1985, La Sponda Rome 1988, Antinor 1988/1996, etc.) consistently showed this surreal-expressionistic, psychologically charged language.Digital / AI Period (2010s–present): The Retort Becomes the PromptAfter a long withdrawal from public exhibition (roughly 1989–2009), Theofilis re-emerged through digital platforms and fully embraced generative tools. The alchemical vocabulary became more overt and conceptual.Explicit alchemical projectsSolo exhibition Alchemy at 99loop Gallery, Cape Town (on view until 16 July, year inferred as 2025 from posts).

Video work “Alchemy in a pandemic” (2 min 16 sec extract widely shared on Instagram). The pandemic is the crucible; collective trauma is distilled into dreamlike symbolic visuals.

Instagram reel titled “Second phase of the alchemical process” — a unique phygital (physical + digital) work, tagged with NFT/crypto-art hashtags.

Posts labelled “Digital Alchemy Art”.

Artist’s own words

In a public statement he writes:

“In my current quest for finding meaning within the play of life and art, I have been busy digging into the grounds of Hermetic wisdom.”Recurring visual symbols in the digital/AI worksBlack vase / vessel silhouettes — the most dominant motif. Layered over fragmented human figures, the vase functions exactly as the classical alchemical retort: the sealed container in which distillation, conjunction, and transmutation occur. The artwork itself becomes the vessel.

Circular / orange-ring motifs — glowing rings, mandala-like forms, or subtle orange accents. These evoke the ouroboros, the philosophical egg, the sun, or the cyclical completion of the Great Work (nigredo → albedo → rubedo).

Fragmented, glitch-like human silhouettes — bodies that dissolve, multiply, or merge with the vessels. This is the contemporary solve et coagula (“dissolve and coagulate”).

Glitch / generative distortion — the digital equivalent of the alchemical fire: unpredictable, sometimes violent re-ordering of form.

The overall aesthetic is frequently described by observers as “dreamlike, alchemical, or glitch-like”—minimalist grayscale palettes punctuated by those orange circular accents, producing a talismanic, almost hermetic atmosphere.Alchemy as Method, Not Just MotifTheofilis’s relentless caption formula—“Artificial intelligence (AI) Christos Theofilis – computer art, digital art, new media art”—is itself alchemical branding. AI is framed as modern philosophical mercury: the volatile, mediating substance that carries human intention (prompts, scanned memories, emotions) into emergent symbolic form. The speed and volume of his output (hundreds of pieces shared across Facebook groups, Instagram @institute

.artact1, Pinterest, etc.) mirror the alchemist’s tireless operation in the laboratory.Continuity Across Five Decades1980s oils → personal, gestural, fiery alchemy of the psyche (wild dog, death-as-transformation).

2020s AI/digital → cooler, more emblematic: vessels that contain chaos, circles that promise return, figures that break and re-form—now generated at machine speed, yet still rooted in the same quest for inner refinement.

For Theofilis, art is the Great Work. The artist is the alchemist. Every canvas, every prompt, every vessel is a retort in which the raw material of existence is subjected to fire, dissolution, and eventual luminous rebirth.The most direct way to experience these motifs remains his active channels: Instagram @institute

.artact1 (frequent posts of vases, circles, and explicit “Alchemy” pieces) and the various Facebook groups he curates. There the visual language—black vessels, glowing rings, fragmented forms—speaks with unmistakable consistency across both his analog past and his generative present.