MITCH EKAS
STUDIO 02
@mitchekas
MITCH EKAS
"#03", 2025
Oil, enamel, masonry, acetone on two-ply recycled plastic webbing
150 x 100 cm
MITCH EKAS
"#04", 2025
Oil, enamel, masonry, acetone on two-ply recycled plastic webbing
150 x 100 cm
Mitch Ekas (Birmingham, 1992) based in Lisbon, with practice shaped by ongoing travel and constant exposure to painting - specifically mark-making across both studio and less-legal contexts, narrowing in on mark-dissection as a core site of study. Having trained as a painter in the UK, and in Italy at Accademia di Belle Arti Macerata, Mitch’s work and research is informed primarily by time and texture - exploring the made mark’s lifecycle; it’s exposure to the elements, and chemistry in it’s environment, before it’s inevitable disappearance or removal.
BEATRIZ NETO
"Third eye" (exhibition view), 2023
BEATRIZ NETO
"Third eye" (exhibition view), 2023
What questions or concepts do you seek to investigate in your practice?
How long will this (piece, idea, challenge) last? Who will see this? Will anyone see this? Will this mark leave a mark on others? What is the lifespan, if any at all?
What are you working on now?
After a busy 2025 full of travel and painting, my goal for 2026 is to revisit what it means to ‘make a mark’ - redefining its importance to my work. This will surface through paint, video and light installation pieces.
What makes the materials you work with central to your practice?
The materials I use in my practice are recycled, found or stolen - never shop-new. I find the challenge of working with more industrial and unconventional materials exciting when combined with my focus on mark-making, which historically is a relatively delicate and clear lane. Using salvaged materials opens up the possibilities of mark-making endlessly, especially when working with ‘imperfect’ or out-of-date materials, where the outcome of the application is not guaranteed.
What is a "good" work of art in your opinion? Why?
A “good" work of art is anything that catches my attention not for aesthetic, but for the immediate question of: "what on earth did they use to make that?"
How does having a studio at Duplex help you in your practice?
Duplex gives me not only the freedom to work and explore independently, but also ongoing opportunity to learn from those around me. Artists move through our studio daily, and each conversation brings insights that feed directly into my practice. The strength of community at Duplex is a huge factor in approaching my work positively, knowing there are artists around me to discuss and debate process with, at all times.
