Glyn Hughes

Art aware

On a very cold night the other Sunday it was warm and cosy at the Goethe – Zentrum,  21 Markos Drakos Ave’ next to the Ledra Palace Hotel , Nicosia . This month’s two artists were Martin Meason and  Heidi Trautmann.
Martin  was born in the U.K. and studied painting at Wimbledon School of Art from 1989 -92 and has lived in Cyprus since 1996.
Hedi Trauman says she is a traveller and since her childhood has been a traveller and storyteller. She was born in Koenigsberg in Eastern Prussia. In Germany she studied art in the studio of artist Rolf Markl for three years and had some joint exhibitions.
The artist showed some wonderful slides of people she had drawn or painted. Full of character. Very free in spirit yet expertly drawn. Heidi also showed some fine landscapes and has exhibited her work here (solo) as well as written two books with a third one in preparation.
Martin Meason says that the subject of his paintings has tended to come from his immediate surroundings, the architect of his flat and studio, the views from his window, things that he experiences everyday.
He uses photo-based images quite frequently, often emphasizing the mechanical characteristics of the medium, blur, camera, shake, under/over exposures etc.
In other works, he said he has experimented with distortion based on imperfect reflections and more recently a process of cutting or tearing pieces of wood, cardboard and paper that have been painted with basic grid design. He is often working with oppositions of inside and outside or intimate and vast and tries to place his work in a kind of middle ground between the two.
Although I have seen Martin’s work in the "Inside The Walls" annual exhibitions and his participation in mixed or joint shows, as far as I know he has never had a one-person exhibit. It’s about time he did. He understands SPACE more than any other artist around here.  

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Archetypal Landscape

Landscape artist John Warren’s exhibition continues at Kypriaki Gonia in Larnaca until the 27th of the month.   The artist has titled the exhibition "Archetypal Landscape" which will demonstrate how he is equally confident in acrylic, pastel and watercolour.
Kypriaki Gonia has explained that apart from his topographical paintings visitors will also get a preview of some recent developments with a series of paintings which explore various avenues into abstraction . During the exhibition the whole work of John will be on the website: www.gallerykypriakigonia.com.cy
John Warren was born in Boston, England and studied graphic design at St Martin’s School of Art, London from 1969-1973. This was followed by post graduate studies in illustration at Manchester Polytechnic.
Between 1974 and 1980  the artist worked as an illustrator and art editor in book publishing both in Manchester and London.
Since moving to Cyprus in 1980 he has concentrated on painting the local landscape in all its moods and seasons. He draws constant inspiration from the Cyprus landscape with its endless variety of shape, contour and contrast. The strong Mediterranean light and the mysterious atmosphere and evanescence of late afternoon are recurring themes in his work.
The exhibition will be John’s seventh solo show in Cyprus. Over the years he has also participated in numerous group exhibitions both in Cyprus and UK with EKATE and others. His paintings can be found in private collections in Cyprus, Greece, France, Germany, U.K. NewZealand and the USA.
The exhibition continues until the 27th of the month.

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Copperwork and Mosaic  

Carving, Copperwork and Mosaic exhibition by Yiannoula Savva at Gallery Tehnis Dromena , Strovolos  (Tel 22496398)
The exhibition continues until the 17th of the month
                           
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Transition at Pantheon Gallery

Art Exhibition and Improvisation Dance and Music Event

Pantheon Gallery is to host  Marlen Karletidou’s art exhibition on Saturday 24th February at 7 p.m
The new work by the artist Marlen Karletidou under the title Transition is one of a mature painter whose thoughts and problems concerning opportune matters create the image direct, with fantasy and unexpected surrealistic elements
 People, butterflies, birds, animals and psychic creatures mix and mingle, play and dream in a continuous flow of movement.
The idea of the artwork came out at the moment of the opening between the two parts in Nicosia, North and South, at the Ledra Pallace barricade. At that point, which the painter named the Little UN Blue and White House, many kinds of feelings, emotions and meetings came up in a concentrated moment giving singularity in the place, space and time.
All these images were the beginning for the new paintings. Painted on red jeans with acrylic colours, sometimes using mixed materials, the pictures take us away, exploding in usual red until we discover a new light and a new reality we can sink in it and dream.
The 3D Caravan of the Butterflies fills the seven paintings in the exhibition room and stands as well as an installation on its own. The Caravan with the butterflies and the many mirrors symbolizes the eternal journey of the souls. Nature’s elements such as butterflies, birds and flowers, and symbols of our subconscious world derive from the seven paintings.
The Transition is completed in many different ways, but the spectator’s participation is necessary.
Following  at 9.00 pm at the opening there will be an original artistic event where the figurative arts meet with music and dance. The musician Agni Sakka and the choreographer – dancer Evi Dimitriou infiltrate in the new figurative work of Marlen Karletidou, they become spectators and witnesses of new reality and self improvisation with ancientsounds and movement that comes straight from the soul..
Agni Sakka uses musical implements  such as the didgeridoo, India crust, Tibetan bowls in rhythms that spring from depths of ground ad express the various races of the planet. At the same time Evi Dimitriou will self improvise dancing within the forms of modern and creative dance.
Her Pantheon show continues until 11 March
Marlen Karletidou was born in Nicosia in 1861. She studied painting at the Athens University, School of Fine Arts  in Greece between the years 1979 -1985’ Marlen  lives and works  in Cyprus and has exhibited her work in solo shows in Cyprus and participated in group exhibitions both in Cyprus and abroad (Greece, France, Switzerland, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, China, U.S.A.)  The artist was awarded a prize in drawing at the 18th Biennale of Alexandria, Egypt in 1994.

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Feryal Sukan at Diachroniki

The Press release says that the exhibition is of "The Female Form" and illustrations suggest they will be  sensuous and  emotional, frontal and well painted.
 "Feryal is a natural, sincere artist, whose passion for art and life is portrayed in a poignant and direct manner through her work. In her current theme she draws the viewer into the deeper world of the feminine psyche, with flowing female forms, in alluring muted tones of colour and texture. Her sad and tormented women, rendered in a subtle and at times emotionally provocative manner , create feelings of empathy, despair and a resolve to face adversity with courage and determination.
This exhibition is indicative of Feryal’s progression towards artistic maturity, which augers well for the future."

Until  27 February at Diachronki on Ledra St.. .Open daily except Sundays.

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Demetris Constantinou at Gloria Gallery
This exhibition by the great sculptor Demetris Constantinou opened on Monday the 12th of February and will continue until the 2nd of March. Full report next week. 

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Restless reflections

Nilgun Guney and Osman Keten are at Opus 39 until 17th of the month
"The reflections of inner and environmental dilemma. Especially living on an island which has an unsettled and uncertain situation and living in a world which needs struggle for human rights and all other rights.
We tried to put out our restless thoughts and contradictions and transform these contradictions into an art form. Although one of us is a woman and the other is a man and maybe has a different point of view, we have similar (like all human beings) anxieties for life. One can see the differences of technique in our art but also can see the similarity in the concept we try to bring out"
Nilgun Guney:  Beautifully executed work with internal themes, alive with interest. There are "things" going on in these works with not a scrap of spare space for decoration
They register a deep understanding. A wide range of mood too. 
Osman Keten: Excellent abstracts, strong , resiliant and highly sensuous. A superbly balanced exhibition. Top standard

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Charalambous Themistocleous at Opus 39

This exhibition will open on Tuesday 20th February, continuing until  3 March.
The artist was born in Morphou. He studied painting and sculpture at the Higher School of Art in Athens 1970-1975 with a scholarship where he obtained 4 awards. He now lives and woks as a professor in Patras, Greece.  Themistocleous will be exhibiting powerful figurative work with great colour and luscious pigment

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Take note
-- Efstathios Efstathiou will open the Pambos Mirianthous exhibition of paintings tonight, Friday 16th February at 7 pm at "Kyklos" Art Gallery, Paphos.. It will continue until 2nd March
-- The Limassol Carnival goes on until the 18th of the month.. Remember the Limassol Municipality in  collaboration with the Limassol Union of Self-educated Painters  have organized an exhibition for this 2007 Carnival.
-- George Koumouros at Morphi Gallery until the 17th of  this month.
-- Emin Cizenel at Argo and Umit Inatci at Apocalypse  close on Saturday the 17th of February.