Description

Mr. Flamingo, an artist, illustrator, and comic creator from Vienna, Austria, brings a unique vision to the world of contemporary art. Graduating from the University of Fine Arts in Vienna in 2017, he honed his craft under the guidance of celebrated artists like Wolfgang Marx and Hansel Sato. With a passion for comic and fantasy art, Flamingo works exclusively in analog, using traditional China ink on paper to create vivid, intricate worlds. His latest project includes a published comic for the internationally acclaimed band Cari Cari, further cementing his place in the artistic scene. Flamingo’s artwork was exhibited  in rennomed cities like Athens, Tokyo, and Vienna. His nomadic spirit takes him from Japan and Italy to Thailand and the U.S., always in search of new influences to infuse into his art. Each destination provides fresh inspiration that pushes the boundaries of his creative output. A lifelong lover of comics, Flamingo draws inspiration from icons such as Andreas Martens, Will Eisner, Bernie Wrightson, Frank Miller, and Eduardo Risso. Growing up surrounded by his father's vast comic collection, he was drawn early on to dark, hard-boiled themes— a fascination that continues to shape his work today. Alongside comics, the influence of fantasy legends like Frank Frazetta is evident, as he crafts worlds where the impossible becomes reality: knights and pirates in space, surreal landscapes that fuse the past and future. But Flamingo's influences aren't confined to the pages of comics and fantasy. Cinema and literature play an equally vital role in shaping his style. Films like Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Blade Runner, Running Man, and shows like Batman: The Animated Series or Miami Vice provide a rich tapestry of visuals and themes. Murakami's surreal novels contribute to the dreamlike, almost hypnotic atmosphere in Flamingo's work, where reality is in constant flux. Flamingo seamlessly blends surrealism with the grit of hard-boiled detective fiction. Everyday scenes are interrupted by mysterious, often unexplainable phenomena, plunging viewers into worlds where magical realism and surrealism blur the lines between the real and the fantastical. His work transports us to a world that feels both familiar and otherworldly— a future that could have existed in the past, or a neon-lit dystopia lurking beneath the surface of reality. His dark, complex visions echo the noir sensibility of Raymond Chandler, set against a Blade Runner-esque backdrop. With his clear, high-contrast black-and-white style, Flamingo heightens the tension in his scenes, using thick lines and sharp contrasts to evoke the raw energy of classic noir comics and dystopian graphic novels. His compositions are meticulously detailed, creating a rich tapestry of fragmented, interconnected worlds that challenge the viewer’s perception. Flamingo’s works aren’t just a visual feast, they tell a broader narrative about the human condition in an ever-urbanizing, technology-driven society. His art opens a window into a melancholic, mysterious realm, inviting us to step beyond the edges of reality and explore the subconscious. With each piece, Flamingo pulls us deeper into a space where fantasy meets reality, and the future is as haunting as it is beautiful.