Ariadne Strofylla solo exhibition.
artAZ is delighted to present «Greek Mother», Ariadne Strofylla's first solo exhibition. The body of work negotiates the lines and limits that condition relationships, as well as the ambiguity that characterizes life.
The exhibition will be presented at «9 ΕΝΝΕΑ» Cultural Space, between 22 March – 14 April 2018.
Using Greek Mother as a point of reference Ariadne Strofylla explores relationships; the ones between people, objects, everyday situations, the surrounding world as well as the undefined relationships between all these. The Greek Mother appears as a symbol and reference to the feminine, the domestic, the stereotype and the rediscovery of all that through a play within our familiar and distant heritage. She embodies notions of sexuality, distance, proximity, youth, maturity, letting go and rearranging, as a force that negotiates them all.
The artist's inner dreamlike language consists of symbols and forms that -almost obsessively- combine to create her visual alphabet. Familiar snapshots of everyday life, as well as the concepts they automatically hint to, are employed σαν allegorical narration vehicles to convey more complex ideas and situations. Recurring motifs, such as human “encounters”, natural elements, motions and the study of light and shadow shape her imagery, which is also characterized by suggestive musicality. Ambiguity is a key characteristic of Ariadne’s work - ambiguity of gender, emotion, intention of action.
In Ariadne’s words: «The inability to capture or fully comprehend the ongoing changes in the stimuli around me as well as in the emotional transitions we all seem to experience reflects the immensity of human capacity. Instead of trying to capture the full image, through my work, I wish to create impressions, transmit feeling and experience in a way that would more likely generate a question rather than an answer.»
The series consists of drawings, paintings, sculptures and ceramic works, which complement each other. The works are connected through an unexpected, self-imposed «constraint»: they were created using a single colour -highly charged and at the same time soothingly familiar- «Greek» blue. The monochrome scheme helps direct the focus to the narrative. Roaming through infinite blue renders the path from one work to the other self-evident, very much in the way of the natural order of things.
Ariadne employs art to start an open-ended dialogue, practically showcasing that art is accessible and essential in order to negotiate life issues, in particular the ones that words often fail to express.
About Ariadne Strofylla
Ariadne Strofylla was born in 1995 in Athens, Greece. She studied Painting & Printmaking at The Glasgow School of Art, United Kingdom, and Art and Photography at Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Austria. She has also taken Pottery Wheel Classes at FireWorks Studio, Glasgow, UK. She has presented her work in art shows in Glasgow, Vienna, Athens and Lesvos.
INFO
Greek Mother
#greekmother #EllinidaMana
Location: «9 ENNEA» Cultural Space, 9 Keas Street, Koliatsou Square, Athens, GR
Private View: Thursday 22 March 2018, 20:00
Dates: 22 March - 14 April 2018 (closed 4-7 April)
Visiting hours: Tuesday - Friday, 18:00 – 21:00 or by appointment
Curated by: Alexandra Kollaros
Organized by: artAZ
Media Sponsor: Kroma Magazine
Supported by: Boutari Wineries
