What could be Raleigh’s most enigmatic and shadowy figure is a ghost that goes by the name of Felix Phasmatis. Felix was was kind enough to meet up with me in Downtown Raleigh, despite my lack of belief in ghosts and the supernatural.

A Ghost Amongst Pirates

Felix with Blackbeard's Crew in 2008

I first met Felix a little over two years ago, in a random encounter with a crew of pirates off of Wilmington Street. Despite the unique nature of his appearance, he blended in with the crowd and at the time didn’t seem out of place. What’s one ghost amongst a half dozen pirates?

More than a Spirit: A Modern Artist

I recently caught up with him at the Capitol Building, the site of a previous encounter with a “ghost” a couple of years ago. Unbeknownst to me during my first encounter with Felix was that he is an artist. His works are minimal, yet bold and defined. Many of the characteristics of modern art are present: contrast, simple shapes, straight lines, minimalism, and abstraction.

Since modern art is from an era past, it kind of makes sense that a contemporary modern artist would need to be a ghost. He postulated the main idea behind the persona in this way:

Artists put themselves on the canvas. You can identify with the work by how you identify with the artist, but I wanted art that could be done by anybody. I could be of any race, from any social class. I could be a millionaire or someone who begs for money.

This Ghost has No Identity

He goes through great lengths to conceal his real identity to maintain that mystery and anonymity. Depending on the individual, the ghost persona will either strongly disconnect or strongly reinforce a connection from the art to the artist. What isn’t uncertain is how difficult it is to promote yourself and your art when you go to great lengths to hide your identity. Even the most basic of promoting essentials such as creating a web site is difficult. All financial transactions go must go through an intermediary.

But now that Felix has a web site and a presence on Facebook, more Raleigh residents are beginning to notice this mysterious figure.

If it weren’t for the internet, I wouldn’t exist.

He has existed in this form for about four years now, but only recently began to promote himself and his art.

Out and About Town

He described himself as a shy individual, but he enjoys being out and about downtown. The art scene which seems to be expanding at an exponential rate is one of the factors which brought him to Raleigh.

Although it may be a while before you see Felix at an outside table at the Raleigh Times, I have a feeling his artwork will soon begin popping up in various and unexpected places downtown.

Further Reading:

• Felix Phasmatis: The Ghost of Modern Art (official web site)
• Like Felix on Facebook
• Felix Phasmatis on Etsy
• Blackbeard’s Crew Invades Raleigh

Other Works by Felix: