Sophocles Plokamakis is an art renaissance man. As an Artpreneur, he is a published illustrator and author, comic book artist with own original comic, art exhibition curator and art teacher. Before he was all these things, he was just a kid who loved to draw. Starting at age 2, drawing was his favorite activity. His parents would sign him up for art classes at an early age and encouraged him to be creative. Sophocles has always been drawn to art, and enjoyed going to museums in NYC as well as other states and countries around the world when he would travel with his family. It was in senior year in high school where his life changed forever! While picking up an issue of Shonen Jump Manga Magazine (a Japanese comics magazine translated into English) in the local Barnes and Noble, he was fascinated by all the beautiful black and white line drawings masterfully created by super talented artists from Japan. He bought the magazine, read the whole thing in one sitting and by the end of the mag, a strong vision came to his mind. Sophocles had a goal, to develop his drawing skills and publish his own bestselling comic book!
So, he made a plan. Sophocles visited his high school art teacher Michael Sansone’s office and asked him to help him create a portfolio to get into SVA (The School of Visual Arts) in Manhattan. The school is known to have the strongest cartooning program in the world! Mr. Sansone helped Sophocles create an art portfolio in 1 months’ time giving him assignments and Sophocles drew every day. When he was accepted into SVA, the first part of his dream was realized. At his college he met professors like David Mazzucchelli (Artist for Batman Year One) and Phil Jimenez (Artist for Spider-man, Wonder Woman and Teen Titans) but it was in Keith Mayerson’s class where Sophocles created the prototype in Black and White for his full color comic that he is known for today: Farm Boy.
Immediately after graduating Sophocles became an after school art Teacher at NEST+M a gifted and talented school in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Here he developed an important trait that he still uses today. He learned how to teach art and connect with his students, about Drawing, Manga, Anime (Japanese Cartoons), Comics, Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card design and photoshop. Before this opportunity Sophocles never wanted to step into a school again after graduating, but fell in love with teaching by being able to share the creative fun of art! He developed a new goal while teaching in that school: to start a Neo Art Renaissance and to extract the dreams of artists of all ages through teaching and coaching. Sophocles has taught in many afterschool programs in NYC and currently teaches Comic art and drawing at Gym-azing locally in Astoria, Queens.
Sophocles is also a husband to Thais Coelho Plokamakis and father to Lucia Plokamakis, with another child on the way. Before he was though, by chance he met his wife at the first Gallery Art Exhibition he curated at One Art Space Gallery in 2018. Thais is a talented acrylic painter and was one of the featured artists in Septemberfest a group art show with 30+ artists. Shortly after the show they started dating and hit it off. Thais helped him with 5 other shows at the same gallery before they formed their business, Start Shows which helps emerging artists start their career in a great way by exhibiting and selling their art in NYC galleries while also teaching them about marketing their art, selling and presentation. Now he is achieving his dreams as he regularly curates and hosts Art Exhibitions with Thais who’s responsibilities in the business are the design of marketing materials for the artists and Start Shows and she makes the map of the gallery curating the visual experience.
Together, Sophocles and Thais have helped hundreds of artists exhibit and sell their art, and for many of these creatives it was their first ever art show. This January 20,21,22 they are excited to produce New You Art Exhibition at One Art Space gallery featuring 37 talented maverick artists in multiple mediums exhibiting, powerful paintings, beautiful drawings, photography, prints and NFT art. The show is Free admission and open to the public! Get ready to be inspired and have the opportunity to collect one of a kind original art from some of NYC’s and the worlds most talented artists! His dream since he was 17 is now being realized as he will exhibit original art from his comic and sell his book at the show.
Connect with Sophocles and Thais:
- Website: Startshowsnyc.com
- Sophocles Website: sophotoons.com
- Instagram: @Startshows
- Farm Boy Comics IG: @farmboynft
- Thais IG: @thais.coelho.artista
- TikTok @startshows
- Twitter: @startshowsnyc
