Glyn Hughes
Arts Page 23rd November
Christos Avraamides Opus 39
An artistic breakthrough
Everyone knows that Christos Avraamides is Cyprus’s superb photographer – a photographic talent that encompasses
all aspects of his art.
Catch him up in the darkness of the theatre, maybe up in the balcony, to "snap’ a performer in a breathtaking performance,
or scurrying in a crowded area to photograph the very essence of what is going on, observing great distances then capturing
a brilliant close-up.
His revealing portraits captures the REAL YOU. Nothing but the best.
What now? Well, us artists, lets not be jealous (could be we are) for Christos in his new show at Opus 39 has morphed (moved)
into the realms of Pablo.
"I play with fantasy because you can wear it from both sides." says Christos. He calls it mixed media – digital photography
with re-touching. Not only on the verge but actually becoming PAINTING.
He remarks they are photographic compositions made from the computer then printed on art paper: and then he paints on this.
Dr Vassos Lyssarides, Honorary President of Edek (also a painter), will open the exhibition on Monday at 7.00 p.m. This
major event (a true breakthrough) will continue until December 10.
Garbis Bezdikian
Municipal Hall of Ayios Dometios
This is the 12th exhibition of paintings by the excellent established artist and continues until Sunday. Visiting hours
are 10am -1pm and 5pm -9pm.
Garbis has always painted the beautiful aspects of his environment, the countryside, the flowers and plants.
In his long career he has also made sensitive portrait paintings. A naturally gifted painter he is very much part of our
cultural landscape. Tel 22771026, 99881423, Hall 22777491.
Nicos Kypraios
Gloria Gallery
This exhibition was opened Australian High Commissioner to Cyprus Garth Hunt on Monday and continues until December 3.
Here is a section from an excellent tribute to the artist by Robert C. Morgan, a leading international critic in contemporary
art, the author of many books and literally hundreds of essays and reviews, a frequent lecturer and curator on the international
circuit and is professor of Fine Arts in the Graduate Programme at Pratt Institute in New York.
"Nicos Kypraios is interested in Nature and in the spiritual depths derived from Nature – those depths that take
us to the very core of our being. His paintings are neither windows on a detached world nor are they mirrors that reflect
the banalities of the simulacra. In recent months, Nicos has painted flowers that offer a symbolic narrative, an allegory
on how we might prevail and most significantly how we might discover the source of joy in life.
They are paintings of abundant mercy that move us from the immanent world of everyday matter to a new a vital transcendent
energy that seeks resolution through intimacy. They are paintings that envision a sense of being within the perception of
common things and within the hearts of ordinary people to hold the potential to affect our way of seeing.
These paintings of flowers give us more than a lyrical nuance. They are paintings that hold a tremendous force, an insistence
that we must pay attention to the impulse of deterioration as much as the quality of life.
Materialism is less a reprieve from suffering than a denial of all that makes life important. In this sense, Nicos is a
painter of the real – that is, what exists in terms of the real, beyond the surface, beyond appearances, and far beyond
the superficial artifice of the simulacra. Nicos’ paintings are both signs and signifiers.
They exist at the substratum of language. They are the first utterance – the place where we need to go in order to
find the solace and happiness of living. Nicos Kypraios paints a symbolic world of indifference where it is still possible
to share and enjoy the fruits of our simple, persistent labours."
Hommage a Aphrodite Leo Gallery,
Nicosia 18 Amphitris St, Acropolis
Exhibition of drawings by Hanna Shisarska Zalewska - presented by Malwa the Polish Cultural Society in Cyprus. Tonight
Friday ,November 23, 6-8 pm, is the last night.
Hanna Slusarska – Zalewska is a graphic artist and was born in 1958. She studied at the Academy of fine Arts in Warsaw,
graduating with distinction in 1983.
She works in metal techniques: etching, aquatint, dry point, mezzotint and their combinations. In these she deals with
metaphorical themes. She also paints and does cycles of satirical drawings.
Since 1983 she has participated in one-man shows and group shows in Poland and abroad. Her works are found in private collections
in Poland, Austria, Australia, Norway, France, Germany, Canada, United States, Morocco and Cyprus, and in the Museum of Caricature
in Warsaw.
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PROCEDO
News has come in that Pegasus Art Foundation ART STUDIO 55, Rialto Square, Limassol are hosting an Andreas Charalambous
exhibition of paintings, drawings and theatre work until December 5.
Auction next
The next auction (third this season) is Cypria Auctions with Greek and Cypriot paintings of the 19th and 20th century.
It will be held at the Hilton Hotel, Nicosia on November 28, at 18.30 pm.
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Blockbuster
The Power House
Curated by Andre Zivanari the show appears to be in two halves.
Everyone was there to see Self Portraits which, they say, is also part of the archives and Disaster and Oblivion.
This blockbuster continues for some moths. More later.
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Angelos Antonopoulos Apocalypse (until the end of the month)
A massive, powerful exhibition with absolutely stunning works.
Amongst the paeans of praise for this artist, art historian Irene Florou of the Athens School of Fine Arts has written:
"The work of Antonopoulos’ is about man and geometric arrangements of symbolic forms.
His endeavour in his uphill advance towards light through symbolic forms. For example, the irregular and uneven shaped
illuminated small cubes which ‘climb’ the pyramid represent human beings with their individual differences, who
nevertheless all together as anthropoids are, or rather should be, on an ‘uphill’ advance.
This uphill advance, symbolised as a ‘pyramid-space’ takes place in a transcendental light which cuts through
the darkness like lightening or a vertical beam of light."
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Yiannos Economou Pantheon Gallery (until November 24, which is tomorrow, Saturday.
A must.
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Urban Nights Heliotropio Gallery
This is a most interesting exhibition with highly moody acrylics on canvas
Michael Elia is a self taught artist whose work is characterised by a basic colour palette limited to the use of earth
pigments allowing him to paint pictures with great contrast between light and shade.
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Creative Overlap The New The very new those carrying on
Apostolos Petrides at Opus 39 from Monday, November 12. Excellent sculptures in wire.
The excellent Martin Meason exhibition has opened at Argo. Very,very promising It will continue until Saturday, November
24 (tomorrow.)
Pantheon Gallery have Yiannos Economou with LOOPS from the 17th of the month.
Ideodrome 2007 at IMCA Limassol opened a few days ago.
Seven Digital Videos by Konstantia Sofokleous, Yiannis Economou, Ioakim Mylonas, Yiannis Colakides, Adonis Florides, Nicos
Synnos and Helene Black.
Stefanos Nearchou at Amorgos Gallery
Marina Rafael has an exhibition titled "Exposed " at Technis Dromena Gallery. Until November 30.
Paschalis Anastasi, Aspelia Gallery ( Larnaca)
These are impressions of Cyprus in oil with fine close ups and continues until December 12.
Doros Eraclaous excellent exhibition continues at Gallery Morphi, Limassol until November 30.
The important artist Michael Flynn has an exhibition at Orpheus Gallery, Limassol from December 8 to the 31. More on this
artist who will exhibit works created during his time in Cyprus next week.
photo captions
!: Selection of works by Christos Avraamides at Opus 39
2; A Rose is a Rose is a Rose.
Nicos Kypraios at Gloria Gallery.
3: Michael Elias at Heliotropio.
4: Garbis Bezdikian at Ayios Dometios Municipal
5: Andreas Charalambous at Art Studio 55, Limassol.
6: Angelos Antonopoulos at Apocalypse.
