Archer Defterios & Theodoros Stamos

Taylor Graham presents Chroma, an exhibition of new paintings by Archer Defterios shown alongside works by Theodoros Stamos. The pairing establishes a dialogue across generations of Greek-American Abstraction, linking the pioneering vision of Stamos to Defterios’ contemporary chapter in a lineage defined by light, color, and formal innovation.

Defterios’ paintings investigate the interplay of color, light, and texture, balancing density and space across each surface. Through layers of repetition and rhythm, form and contrast emerge - producing a sense of both motion and stillness. Each composition unfolds through horizon-like divisions, where color becomes both subject and structure.

For Defterios, exhibiting alongside Stamos represents a meaningful pairing of past and present. Stamos’ groundbreaking contributions to Postwar Abstraction have long been a source of inspiration, and this pairing not only honors that legacy but also positions Defterios as a new voice in a lineage defined by exploration, color, and light. This dialogue is deeply personal for Defterios.

Defterios notes, “It’s always an honor to show my work, but to do so beside Stamos, whose paintings have inspired me for years, is something I deeply value.” Chroma marks the intersection of influence, inheritance, and contemporary vision.

Archer Defterios (b. 2000), is a Greek-American artist based in Los Angeles, California, known for his richly layered, process-driven work that explores the interplay of color, light, and texture. Using a mix of acrylics, oils, and even fire, Defterios creates surfaces that appear minimal at first glance but reveal complex underlayers upon closer inspection. His work often conceals vivid color palettes beneath restrained compositions, encouraging a slower, more contemplative viewing experience. In June 2025, debut solo exhibition, Under Marble, featured a body of work that emphasized materiality and process, deeply informed by the textures and landscapes of Greece.

Theodoros Stamos (1922–1997) was a Greek-American painter whose work centered on the emotional possibilities of color, space, and light. The youngest member of the Abstract Expressionist group known as the “Irascibles,” Stamos developed a contemplative approach that moved away from gesture and toward quiet, expansive fields of color. Similar to Defterios, Stamos’ paintings often evoke horizons, landscapes, and atmospheres without depicting them directly, inviting the viewer into a slow, meditative encounter. Throughout his career, Stamos sought what he described as “infinity with color,” creating work that feels at once grounded in nature and open to the metaphysical.