Hibernation comes to and end

By Glyn Hughes

The great summer visual siesta/hibernation is coming to a close.

On the island, British artists have bravely and continually been exhibiting in remote areas, coffee shops and front rooms.

Some conventional galleries sent information of continuing summer shows where on the way – to the shop - if you had a mobile telephone to check, that particular journey on crowded car-packed pavements would certainly have been to no avail.

The conventional image of the lone artist in a freezing garret has been altered to sweltering in supposedly air-conditioned rooms, with the occasional artist bravely painting a view in the shade.

September could bring in autumn hangings but it will probably be in October that most will be in full spate.

Open Studios

2007

We thank Neil Stephens and Michelle Niewel for this information.

Now in its second year, the open studios are in Paphos and Limassol districts. 88 artists are opening their ateliers to the general public.

Painters, sculptors, ceramists, photographers show their latest creations; every weekend in October.

Both Neil and Michelle will be exhibiting.

Neil Stephens has known the island of Cyprus for the last twelve years and worked until this year as the tutor at the Cyprus College of Art in Lemba.

He was born in South Wales and studied at Winchester College of Art and the Kunstakademie in Duesseldorf/Germany.

After this he worked for renowned sculptors like Prof. John Gibbon and Sir Anthony Caro.

Honours and international prizes followed, like the Leonardo da Vinci prize.

His early influence from his homeland, the mines, the factories, the working class combines with the charm, the colours, the aesthetic beauty of Cyprus.

This make his work so extraordinary and exciting.

When he exhibited at Apocalypse Gallery earlier in the year I wrote: "Jeff Ridgen, Jennifer Harding and Neil Stephens are the vital founders of Cypriot contemporary art".

Now he has moved with his German girlfriend Michelle, who is also a sculptor, to Nata village.

They both have come to the same opinion - that the village must have the most spectacular views and landscape in Cyprus.

They chose this unspoiled rural location for a source of new inspiration and both say Nata is a paradise for walkers, artists and photographers, "so we are really looking forward to receiving visitors to our house and studio."

www.neilstephens.co.uk

Celia Philippou,

at Gloria Gallery

THIS exhibition opened a couple of days ago, continuing until the 18th of the month.

Full report next week.

Celia was born in Nicosia. In 1977-80 she studied at the Vacalo School of Art and Design in Athens. She has been a teacher of Art since 1990, a member of the Conservatory of Fine Arts in Athens.

Her paintings are to be found in private collections in Cyprus and abroad.

This, her second exhibition at Gloria’s is of her recent landscapes and seascapes with the title ‘Over the Rainbow".

Mediterranean light, colours, forms and shapes constitute a powerful motive for her.

In painting these seascapes and landscapes, she tries to express her feelings in a metaphysical frame of mind as she ponders over these places, or recalls them from memory.