George Kotsonis at Hellenic Bank Cultural Centre

This is a very important retrospective by Kotsonis. GREAT. Makis Keravnos, Chief Executive Officer of the Hellenic Bank Group introduces the exhibition in the excellent catalogue.

"Through this exhibition, George Kotsonis attempts to share his experience and knowledge with the general public.

The artist imprints human figures as well as images of the natural and structured environment, in such a special way, that is the art critics believe, they are transformed into monumental compositions. Nowadays, he continues his work in his workshop in Paphos, creating new boundaries in art."

Dr Nadia Anaxagorou continues: "With the penetration and accuracy of an introspective look, revealing the quintessence in form and colour, focusing on the unchanging rather than the transient nature of things, George Kotsonis filters human figures and scenes from the natural or built environment, through an infallible detachment in perspective, that transforms them into spaceless and timeless, monumental compositions."

Sylvia Woodcock Clarke

Welcome return for Sylvia

tatiana Ferahian writes: "Scottish visual artist, Sylvia Woodcock Clarke, who’s been living in Cyprus for more than 16 years, will be showing her latest work at Rouan Gallery in Limassol.

In her work, Woodcock vividly illustrates a world of combined imagery of people and animal figures in surreal settings, to create visually and emotionally packed narratives.

Voyeurism being the foundation for her creative process, she juxtaposes rural life with its colourful cacophony of customs through keen observations, in order to create a backdrop for social commentary.

Various elements: the child-like innocence; vulnerability of a snail; the sweetness and trust in a cat’s face; the spontaneous emotion of a rooster; the beauty of a flower or a fish; the musical cow; are depicted in dreamlike, fantastic fashion, retelling multiple stories from her immediate surroundings.

There is an anecdote on every painting, inviting the viewer into her own reality where every scenes are re-examined and transformed into distorted concepts. Bold lines and bright colours are also used in order to heighten notions of the underlying mischievous qualities of these scenes”.

The exhibition will run from December 7 to 19.

Meeting of ancient and contemporary Cypriot art at the Pierides-Marfin Laiki Museum in Larnaca.

Klitsa Antoniou exhibition: Recent acquisitions

Over the long course of the Marfin Laiki Cultural Centre, a number of the activities have become annual commitments.

One of these is organised and presented at the Pierides-Marfin Laiki Museum, the island’s most important private museum, which the Cultural Centre has been managing for seven years now, under the terms of a trust set up in 2000.

This event focuses on the concept "A meeting of ancient and contemporary Cypriot art". Over the period of the last five years, notable Cypriot artists have been inspired by the exhibits included in the Museum’s valuable collection of ancient Cypriot art and have created original work that is then displayed within the Museum as an outcome of this inspiration

The guest artist this year is Klitsa Antoniou, one of the most talented artists of her generation, who presents a series of artwork entitled "Recent Acquisitions".

Through these visual compositions, the unbreakable continuity of the Cypriot civilization, as well as man’s inner necessity for artistic creation and expression are also affirmed. In this context, Klitsa Antoniou, makes her own contribution, both artistic and personal to the archive of collective memory. Called upon to create, inspired by the museum collections, the artist insists neither on the artifacts’ historical significance nor on their aesthetic value, but rather she contemplates on the emotional burden of each and every one.

"As I face the exhibits, I do not see archaeological finds, but the personal belongings of a human being who once lived and died on this earth."

The archaeological find is then automatically transfigured, from a valuable source of information on a nation’s history, also into a bearer of a person’s private story, also into an archive of personal recollections.

The exhibition will be inaugurated by Marfin Laiki Bank deputy Chief Executive Officer-Cyprus, Panagiotis Kounnis, on Friday 14 , 2007, (tonight) at 8 00 p.m. and the exhibition will continue until January 14, 2008.

Remember

The excellent exhibition of works by Michael Flynn continues at Orpheus Gallery, Limassol until December 31. Superb ceramics.

Maria Loizidou’s "SELF OTHER" at Argo Gallery. More next week on our important installationist. It will continue until January 5.

Arms and Armours from the collection of Constantine Emilianides and Michael Kouloumbris will continue at the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia’s Temporary Exhibition hall until March 30

To Dress – Towards a Costume, Culture Museum at Evagoras Lanitis Centre, Carob Mill, Limassol. Until January 27.

Mediterranean Faces

Opening tonight at 19.30, Omicron Gallery.

Inaugurated by H.E. Mr Ahmed Imbrahim Ragheb Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Cyprus, Andreas Karayan and Esmat Dawestashy. On until December 22.