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1970-1989 by Μιχάλης Κευγάς on Scribd

1990-1999 by Μιχάλης Κευγάς on Scribd

2000-2017 by Μιχάλης Κευγάς on Scribd

Quotes about his work :

By sculptor George Georgiadis:
“Michael’s works, smaller or relatively larger, are distinguished by an expressively candid directness,    and by the dedicated labor in handling the materials by which they’re constructed. They are further characterized by the personal process of the expression of stimuli, which mostly stems from a purely empirical impulse reaching its breaking point.”

By Manolis Vlahos, Art Historian and Professor of the University of Athens:
“When one observes the miniature portraits and discovers the thoroughness of their characteristic marks, one is surprised by the dexterity with which the artist has overcome the obstacles set by the diminutive volume of the material he works with, one appreciates the delicate nature of his work, the sense of balance, and the accuracy of his psychographic insights. It is also easy to discern the proper use of simplifications and stylizations, which go hand in hand with the expressionist mood.
It’s worth noting the attempt to carve two or more heads on the same stone – an attempt which evokes similar works by renowned sculptor Chalepas – which produces a presentation that’s complicated both in its composition and in the relationship between the faces shown. Rising from the stone in paradoxical positions, in succession or facing each other, connected by the axis on which they appear or unrelated, these faces demand that the audience penetrate their nexus, magnify their volume and comprehend their interplay. Despite their minuscule volume, whether they’re silent or screaming, they eloquently convey their passion.”

By painter Petros Zoumboulakis:
“I could, using the language of art theorists, call it “primitif,” namely sculpture that’s primitive but also expressive, exactly because it is primitive. I could never, for instance, imagine the same immediate and staggering result of these pained masks, of these grimaces of sorrow, or silent bitterness and occasionally helpless rage, if these sculptures were made according to the laws of harmony and academic composition, by a scholarly sculptor. Could you imagine, and I’m mentioning a simplistic and perhaps sacrilegious example, if Theofilos were an academic?
I can’t help but recall the primitive African masks. The abstract emaciated sculptures of Giacometti, slender like skeletons stripped of flesh, the gaunt sculptures of Germaine Richier with the cavernous mouths, the grotesque portrait-busts of Daumier which take sarcasm all the way to caricature.
I have been watching Michael’s trajectory all these years with great joy and satisfaction. A trajectory that’s steady and consistent, quiet and prolific; yet I hear the silent screams of his “heroes,” I see their stunned and fearful eyes, their fever which is a fever transmitted to them directly on the solid material by the hand of the artist, in his attempt to tame them. I believe that my friend Michael uses as his raw material “the bitterness of life,” which is in my opinion the most fascinating motivation.
“As if the world’s sufferings and sorrows could ever end”

By Sokratis Loupas, Art Historian
Sculpture by Michael Kevgas
Michael’s sculpture does not begin with the carving of the stone, but with its pursuit in nature, on the ground or on the edge of the sea, because that’s where the first, random figuration of the rock has already occurred. The rock will capture the artist’s attention, as well as his desire to extract it from its natural environment, to detect the form it contains – always a human form – and to use the chisel to bring that form to its surface.
Time has not altered the style or the way he works. From the 1980s until today, Kevgas emphatically deals with the human face, trying to capture as many of its expressive transitions as possible. He carves the form on rock or wood, inspired by ancient Greek art, by newer folk art, and by Pre-Columbian civilizations. The freedom with which he utilizes his sources can be seen in the intense expressionism which marks his creations.
When first coming into contact with these miniature works of art, the audience is immediately struck by their monumental and epic nature, as well as the feeling that their nature is not at all diminished by their diminutive size. On the contrary, it’s that diminutive size which renders them more direct and straightforward. The impression of the monumental is augmented by the archaic quality of their style and the dramatic tension which connects the faces. The dynamic forms are drawn to the surface of the rock in pairs, facing each other, parallel, or in multifaceted, usually consecutive, compositions. The faces, whether screaming or silently communicating with each other, convey restlessness, sorrow and agony.
In the prominent sculptures, reminiscent of totems, the rough carving is attuned to the coarse surface of the material. The raw spots on the rock complete the composition and create a sense of non finito which heightens the visual experience.
Even though the embossed works give off the impression that they were violently extracted from a larger piece, they actually function independently, without requiring the support of a wider framework. In these compositions, the forms are placed in a dense pattern, facing sideways or to the front, while half of their shape sinks into the background. Shadow is particularly useful here, as it augments shapes and complements composition. In the embossed works which are lower, almost lacking the third dimension, the shapes spread out onto – or spill onto, one might say – the surface of the rock, and they form portable sculpted images, therefore sculpture is blended with painting.
The qualities of his stone works are successfully transferred to his brass works which, when enriched with patina, convey multiple plastic and colorful impressions. Kevgas also fluently handles miniature sculptures, especially busts of men and women, which have no ornamental intent and yet fully capture the expressiveness of his larger works. Kevgas also gives his stone or metal works wear and tear of an archeological nature, such as scuffing or cutting off sections of the shapes, which intensify the already existing expressionist mood of the sculpture.
A worker of an ancient art, and a tireless seeker of the human form in its miniature version, Kevgas has imparted the tension and the dimension of feeling to all his sculptures.

By the artist himself:
It’s very difficult to write something about your work in a time when words are redundant. Still, I will say the following.
My themes are anthropocentric and inspired by nature. Anything I see around me, from the most minuscule to the grandest, I attempt to render in forms.
We can see forms everywhere, on the rocks by the sea, on pebbles, on mountains, on trees, in the clouds, and in anything beautiful freely given to us by nature. But we can also see forms imprinted on the faces of human beings, forms of injustice and exploitation, of loneliness and fear, forms of the “sufferings of men.” Even the walls of an abandoned home, stained by time and humidity, can hide multiple forms, if only you look closely.
Lastly, my work is influenced by all ancient civilizations, and especially by Ancient Greece, Byzantium and folklore.