Four for Rouan
ROUAN Gallery has brought four Limassol-born artists from different generations together.
They are showcasing the works of Maria Loizido, Argyris Constantinou, Polys Peslikas and Lefteris Olympios.
Tatiana Ferahian, who had a superb "Broken Glass" piece in the Urban Soul Festival earlier in the month, has reviewed the
exhibition for us. Here it is.
Argyris Constantinou’s assemblage works or "combines" primarily takes the form of found or self made objects arranged
in glass fronted wooden cabinets, with a setting of old photographs, emphasizing the part played by depth and spatial enclosure.
Each object he places in these boxes, such as a piece of rope or stone acquires aesthetic or symbolic meaning within the
context of the whole work that hangs between memory and reality.
In addition, his freestanding box sculptures, which are illustrated chronicles of our youth and our school years, are narrative
in nature, telling stories that reflect our society’s heritage, producing an overall nostalgic atmosphere.
Maria Loizidou’s installations feature soft sculptures, pencil drawings and self made silver ornaments that carry
an exquisite craftsmanship, as well as overall visual intrigue.
They provide novelty, attention to details and perceptual/physiological stimulation.
They hold strong political references, revolving around Dualism philosophy of balance, where two opposing fundamental concepts
coexist either in conflict or harmony.
Polys Peslikas explores multiple issues related to youth, identity construction, fantasy and obsession with physical beauty
using a visual language, which is a shifting world of forms that are nearly identifiable, morphed or undone.
The line between representation and abstraction often becomes distorted as graphic elements such as graffiti are contrasted
with realistic figurative drawings, and painted biomorphic forms, as he seeks to subvert fixed pictorial structures and the
stereotypic images with which we are bombarded in today’s image-driven culture.
Lefteris Olympios blurs the lines between fine art and photography, blending both forms of art to create representations
of the refined deer in manipulated settings.
His larger oil paintings for example, leaping with vibrant colours, depict the human bound deer in wildlife, as well as
in urban surroundings that clearly show an awareness of identity, dislocation and survival that remain relevant issues today.
Rouan Gallery is at 28 Dodekanisou, Limassol.
Until the 31st of the month.
Hurry.
Paintings of Cyprus
Petros Ptohopoulos is at Diachroniki Gallery just off Ledra Street, Nicosia at Arsinoe 84.
It consistently has good exhibitions, mainly with Cypriot subjects.
Petros Ptohopoulos was born in Nicosia but grew up in Famagusta.
After his studies at the Weder School of art in Switzerland, he settled in Cyprus where he runs a workshop for painting,
and preparing students for the Athens Academy of Fine Arts.
His paintings, which are inspired by the history and the Greek Civilisation of Cyprus, are conveyed through themes like:
Archaic, Lost Civilization, Occupied lands, Mother of Cyprus, Sea Bed, Testimony of the soul and Third dimension.
The dominant feature in his works is the interaction between form and colour, which blend harmoniously with their abstracted
symbolic and enigmatic themes.
Constant searching and self doubt permeate all his paintings, deterring the viewer from adopting a definite interpretation,
and transferring him to an imaginary, magically enchanted and unpredictable world.
With 29 solo and many group exhibitions, the works of the artist adorn numerous private collections and institutions in
Cyprus and abroad.
Joyous occasion
Katerina Foukara Gloria Gallery
A very joyous occasion for the opening of Katerina Foukara’s exhibition at Gloria’s.
She is the daughter of Christos and Mariam Foukara and it seemed as if the whole of Paphos was there for the occasion.
She studied painting at the Sourikof Academy of Moscow.
From 2001- 2003, she studied painting and from 2003-2007 she specialised in monumental art under the direction of E N Maximov,
obtaining a Master in Fine Arts.
At the same time she had a teacher in life and art, her grandmother Lavinia Bazbeouk-Melikia, a great Armenian painter
and member of the Russian Academy, and daughter of the eminent Armenian painter, Akexander Bazbeouk-Melikian.
The creative presence of her grandfather Alexander Sukhanov a Russian painter, has played a positive and significant role
in Katerina’s development too.
It is obvious that Katerina is discovering her own way of painting.
At this present exhibition her portraits stand out with compassion and that is quite rare here.
It is a large show with many landscapes (villagescapes too) and excellent figurative work,
However there are also some extremely beautiful still lifes in which fruit, flowers, embroidery and glass vases (no 15
for example) are dealt with in such a sensitive way that this writer feels it is a path towards which Katerina may develop
in a style which should bring great visual and very personal individual rewards for her.
A great debut.
Waves
Barbara Georghiou Argo Gallery
LAST week I wrote about the artist’s art before I had seen her latest work.
Barbara has not exhibited for a few years, and my, how her work has grown stronger and more and more beautiful.
White clay (from Stoke on Trent so they say) has been used and its gentle light brings total serenity to the gallery.
Large pieces. too.
Elegant and pure.
Dawn Luing is showing at the Marzano Restaurant, in Nicosia.
Dawn says: "Both Cypriot and Greek poetry and song lyrics currently influence a lot of my work. poems and songs paint pictures
in the mind. I interpret these impressions into paintings. I am also fascinated by the effect of light and shade in all its
aspects.
"Here in Cyprus we are fortunate to have so much light, especially compared to the UK.
"It is a paradise for artists such as myself."
Her current exhibition is predominantly figurative, whether that be exploring textures and shadows on the human body or
expressing emotions with long, lean figures living their lives on canvas and wood.
The artist studied fine and graphic art in the UK, at Guildford Art School and Brighton University. She qualified as a
Teacher in 1987 at Reading University.
She has participated in several group and Art Society Exhibitions in the south East of England.
Dawn became an art teacher and then Head of the Art Department in a High Security prison in England, were she and her students
successfully participated in the Koestler Award Scheme for Art and Literature in Prisons and Special Hospitals. This is an
annual competition for Prisoners, where the winning works from all around Britain are exhibited in London and awarded cash
prizes.
Her work included: Murals in two education departments, preparation for portfolios for University and Open University student
entrance and art classes for general interest and art therapy.
She also taught IT and Computer Graphics in College and Medium to High Security Prisons in the South East of England for
almost seven years
In 1993, she came to Limassol to work and live, after the British government privatised the prison system, and has settled
down and made her permanent home here.
Dawn has participated in several group and charity exhibitions in Limassol and had successful solo exhibitions in Limassol
and Nicosia.
Her work can be found in private and corporate collections internationally.
The Other
ANNA Maria Maiolino’s excellent exhibition, curated by Michael Astbury, continues at The Pharos Centre for Contemporary
Art.
Tatiana Soteropoulos is on until November 7, at Arte Prive.
Other shows which look highly interesting are :
Marilena Cassoulides, at Technis Dromena Gallery. The title of her exhibition is Cocktail and contains a large variety
of work plus clothes to demonstrate the beauty and use of texture.
Tonight, there is a screening of the film "Moulin Rouge at the gallery, at 9pm.
Constantinos Ptochopoulos continues at gallery K.
The latest exhibition at Alpha Gallery is by Alkis Dikaios.
Entitled "Frozen in Time" it closes tomorrow.
The Spyros Agathou exhibition has opened at Kypriaki Gonia, Larnaca.
Spyros studied in Italy and Spain. Excellent "taschist" paintings.
Until the end of the month.
.
Photo captions
1: NEVER ENDING: Dawn Luing at Marzano Restaurant, Nicosia
2: NICHOLAS: Katerina Foukara, at Gloria Gallery
3: MOOD: Spyros Agathou, at Kypriaki Gonia Larnaca.
4: SELF OTHER: Maria Loizidou, at Rouan Gallery, Limassol.
5: LITTLE EVZONE AND SAILOR BOYS: Argyris Constantinou, at Rouan Gallery.
6: STUDIO PHOTO: Polys Peslikas at Rouan.
7: FREE SPIRIT: Lefteris Olympios, at Rouan Gallery
