29 March 2007

Nedi Sakellaropoulou, at Gallery k This exhibition continues until April 21. This is the first solo painting exhibition by Nedi Sakellaropoulou, who is respectfully following the path of the icon painting tradition of Cyprus, a country which can claim more than two hundred saints.And the artist follows the Byzantine canons and communicates the teachings of the Orthodox faith the way tradition hands it to us through the ages. She explains: "I grew up in an area with a rich tradition in Byzantine icon painting. The Solea valley, in the foothills of Troodos, is well known for its superb Byzantine churches which are protected by UNESCO as World Heritage sites. “In this environment, the natural beauty is in constant dialogue with the monuments created by human faith and it is here that I had my first contact with Byzantine iconography. “When I was very young I was visiting these unique churches and experienced their icons. "Their radiating peacefulness, their clean line, their symbolic elements and the strict rendering of the Saints aroused my interest and my curiosity."
Antonopoulos at Gloria’sAn exhibition of new works by Stavros Antonopoulos has already opened at Gloria’s and will continue until April 4.The artist shows dynamic large canvases often with the male nude reclining in splendour and drawn with great delicacy. Quite often a forbidding animal - such as a tiger or wolf – hovers expectantly. Very threatening, actually. There are also pillars with heads attached. All very theatrical, yet nearer to dreams perhaps. Brilliant draughtsmanship, quite disturbing. A high talent at his very best. Next at Gloria’s is Vera Hatzida on April 17.
CrossingsLAST Friday, elegant crowds of art lovers flocked from the earlier (and brilliant) Henri Cartier-Bresson ’Des Europeens’ exhibition at the Hellenic Bank high up on Athalassa Avenue to also see and enjoy the ‘Crossings – a contemporary view’ in the old town of Nicosia. Yiannis Toumazis has the right to be smiling. Proud indeed. The Power House is functioning again, and Manifesta is dead and buried. Cypriot Greeks and Cypriot Turks with other Europeans were exhibiting in the fabulous (almost on the Green Line) Power House, the Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre /Pierides Foundation. Curators are Yiannis Toumazis, and Androulla Michael Flabutez. Earlier visitors also found time to pop in at nearby Stoa Aeschylou (75) where Panicos Tembriotis’s studio had been converted into an excellent exhibition called SPACE WALK at which Demetris Neocleous, Katerina Attalidou, Stefanos Karababas, Sofia Kakoulli, Costas Evangelides, Vicky Pericleous, Myrto Makrides and Panicos have exciting new work on display. Back at The Power House. Well! YOU MUST GO.It is on until May 20.I thoroughly enjoyed myself and ended up buying a ceramic bowl from one of the market stalls (indoors) in which I will replace my bitter lemons with my now sweetened sour grapes. Happy at last. Cypriot art is alive and well again. Crossings is a contemporary view and is the third section of the project "Crossings: Movements of People and Movement of Cultures: changes in the Mediterranean from Ancient to Modern Times" whose leader is the Pierides Foundation. The project is organised within the framework of the European Union programme Culture 2000 and it is implemented with the participation of Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Italy and France.
OpusShowFROM April 2-14, Marina Emphietzi Harris (oil paintings) and Celia Potoudis Macpherson (pottery) are at Opus.Marina Emphietzi-Harris has lived and worked in Dubai since 1989. Her initial passion was for realistic paintings and in these paintings which are mostly oil on canvas, she tries to capture elements of Nature using natural, earth colours and creating compositons such as of rock stones and water. In 1998, she won the prize of merit during an exhibition held at the City Centre Hotel. Marina is teaching oil painting at the new Dubai community theatre and art centre in Dubai. Celia Potoudis Macpherson was born and brought up in Cyprus, with long stints of living in Kenya and UK and now living in Dubai. Celia’s multi-cultural awareness is tangible present in her work. She came to pottery from an academic background and holds an MA from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Combining traditional hand building techniques with throwing on an electric wheel often on the same piece her current work demonstrates a fascination for tribal pattern work.
Discover CyprusThrough Art
DIACHRONIKI Gallery presents a new exhibition of contemporary art that will continue until April 7 at En Plo, the Municipality Exhibition Hall opposite Paphos Castle, yesterday and today through the arts and crafts.Works from Cypriot and visiting artists. The exhibition at Paphos explores the landscapes and people of the island, showing Cyprus as it was and how it is now. For further information, call 22680135. By the way, there are three Diachroniki galleries in the old town of Nicosia. Diachroniki Ledra, Arsinoe Street Diachroniki, Laiki Yitonia and Nea Diachroniki at Solonos 32.
Important workfrom Cubanartist
THE Weaver of Worlds exhibition at the North Hall of Famagusta Gate Gallery, Nicosia which had its vernissage on Monday, March 19 is by Cuban artist Jose Franco. The exhibition is on until March 30. Do not miss it. An exhibition full of energy with stunning surface textures and expressionistic forms. Jose Franco was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1956. After finishing regular schooling, he attended the San Alejandro Academy of Art in Havana, where he studied painting, drawing and history of art, obtaining a solid artistic and technical foundation. He has taken part in important exhibitions in Cuba, Argentina, Panama, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, the United States as well as Europe and also international events and biennales. The subject which has always fascinated him is the relationship between ecology, technology and art; he has dedicated a great deal of study to all types of chromatic and pattern relationships to be found in as well as the relationship between man and animal, trying to achieve work which carry an appeal to preserve nature as well as convey its beauty, something which modern life does not always allow us.
Simply Cypruson showPRINT Art Consultancy Giclee prints, in association with Curium Gallery, Limassol, are holding their Fourth ‘Simply Cyprus’ art exhibition at the En Plo in Paphos Harbour from Monday, April 9 until Monday, April 16. Open daily from 10am until 7pm, this annual exhibition has become very popular with established artists, as well as up and coming artists who otherwise would not have an outlet in Cyprus.The theme of ‘Simply Cyprus’ encourages the artists to look at the diverse and beautiful surroundings to be found all over the island. This year there will be over 25 artists exhibiting and the exciting variety of both subject matter and style should appeal to most tastes.
Still on Susan Vargas Stefani, at Kypriaki Gonia, LarnacaThese are serious paintings; strong, poetic and related to personal experiences: delved deeply and painted with aesthetic confidence. Susan’s exhibition will continue until April 20.Liana Spanou-Zanti, at Heliotropio Gallery, Larnaca. The Other Side. A remarkable exhibition with a knowing glance at absurdities in the "fine art" section of aesthetics. Painted by an artist "who can not remain untouched by the significant worldwide shift towards consumerism." Continues until the 31st of this month. Tereza Pilava, at Opus 39 Tereza titles her exhibition Butterflies and it will continue until the 31st of this month.Andreas Tazou is exhibiting at Morphi Gallery, Limassol, until April 6, Richard Wilson and Michael Turner are exhibiting until April 15 at Dinos Art CafE Limassol. Ina Constantinidou has an exhibition of paintings at Kyklos gallery, Paphos until April 4. The Marc-Alain Stamm photographic exhibition ‘An Invitation to Travel" continues at18 Amphitritis Street until May 19. Moussoulides’ 40 Years Journey With the Light photographic exhibition is at Castelliotissa, Nicosia. This exhibition closes tomorrow and is dedicated to Pefkios Georgiades. Pegasus Art Foundation continues its new series "Myth and Icon" until April.This is at Art Studio 55 near the Rialto, Limassol.
Bronx OpenHouse This Sunday is open house at the Bronx Museum of the Arts.Lori Salmon, Media Coordinator, writes to the Arts Page to say: "Here and Elsewhere features a range of work by 36 artists from throughout the Metropolitan area, all of whom have participated in the most recent incarnation of Artist in the Marketplace (AIM)." One artist is Ketta Ioannidou. Does that ring a bell? Can’t wait for the panel discussion "Understanding Housing Policies in the Bronx" with a tour on Saturday, April 14 to discover a wealth of historic networks through a number of architectural gems along the Grand Concourse, by foot or bike. There’s also Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip Hop on May 4. But don’t miss Sunday April 1, 2pm to 6pm. We’ll all be there.
PromisingDora Oronti and Andros Pavlides at Technis Dromena Gallery This most promising exhibition was opened on Monday by Ambassador Erato Kozakou-Marcoulli . More next week.