Natalia Mela

1923 Natalia Mela was born on 10 July at home, in Tatoiou Street, Kifissias. Her father, Michail Melas, an officer in the artillery, was the son of Pavlos Melas and Natalia Dragoumi (sister of Ion Dragoumis and Stephanos Dragoumis). They came from Epirus and Macedonia. Her mother, Alexandra Pesmazoglou, was the daughter of the banker Yannis Pesmazoglou. They had come from Alexandria and, before that from Caesarea in Asia Minor.

1923-1930 The first seven years of her life were spent at her home in Tatoiou Street, Kifissia.

1930 The birth of Natalia’s brother, Pavlos. The family moved to 24 Rigillis Street, Athens. Kifissia became their country home.

1933 Joined the Greek Girl Guides’ Association. Her first school years were spent at the Makris School. She later changed schools and attended the German School.

1940 Graduation. 27 October, 1940, the day before the war, she became Greek National Tennis Champion at the Athens Tennis Club. War broke out and she became a nurse. Despite being too young, she was accepted because of her mother’s position in the Red Cross.

1942 Sat the entrance exams for the School of Fine Arts, Sculpture Department. At the beginning, she attended lessons at the Dimitriadis’ Sculpture Workshop. After Dimitriadis’ death she moved to the Tombros Sculpture Workshop. There she met Nikos Koundouros, Lena Tsouchlou, Bouba Liberaki, Vasos Kapandais and others. At the same time she attended the Apartis workshop.

1942-1943 Made the masks for the performance of Swanevit, produced by Karolos Koun, at the Aliki Theatre. At the beginning of the German occupation of Greece she joined the United Panhellenic Youth Organisation (EPON). Soon after, she became a member of the Communist Party of Greece. She was friends with Kostas Axelos, Adonis Kirou, Victor Melas, Maria Anagnostopoulou, Kitsos Maltezos and others. In 1943 Kitsos Maltezos was murdered. After that, Mela withdrew from the Communist Party. During this period, she set up her first studio in the laundry on the top floor of No 4 Vassilisis Sofias. Here she began to make statues and busts from plaster and clay. After the laundry burned down, Mela moved her studio in 1945 to the stable in the yard of her house at No 5 Mourouzi Street. Here, Nellie Andrikopoulou, Engonopoulos, Tsarouchis, Embeirikos, Moralis and many others would gather.

1946 Took First Prize for nude sculpture, and graduated from the School of Fine Arts.

1948 1948 Panhellenic Exhibition. Erected the bust of Stephanos Dragoumis, Zappeion.

1949 Armos Studio Exhibition, the Zappeion. Gravestone, the Bishop of Athens, Chrysanthos.

1950 Death of her father.

1951 Married Aris Konstantinidis. Erected the bust of Yiorgos Pesmazoglou at the National Bank.

1951-1952 Together with Pikionis, erected the monument to the Fallen Soldier at Leontio, Nemea, Peloponnese.

1952 Birth of her son, Dimitris.

1954 Birth of her daughter, Alexandra. Stopped work for some years to concentrate on her children. At the same time she created jewellery.

1956-1957 Participated in the production of the sets for Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle produced by Karolos Koun, Arts Theatre.

1958-1959 Participated in the production of sets for Brecht’s The Good Person of Szechwan produced by Karolos Koun, Arts Theatre.

1960 Attended lessons in oxy-acetylene welding and was awarded a diploma. From that time she began to work in metal.

1962 Group Exhibition – Greek Artists Exhibit in Bucharest.

1963 With her husband, Aris Konstantinidis, built her house on Spetses. Group Exhibition, Athens School of Fine Arts (International Convention of Art Critics). Group Exhibition – Women Artists Exhibit on Rhodes. Group Exhibition – Zygos Gallery.

1964 Group Exhibition – Salzburg. Group Exhibition – Women Artists in London. Solo Exhibition – Hilton Gallery. Monument to the Fallen Soldier, Zagoria.

1965 Solo Exhibition – Griechenbeisl Gallery, Vienna.

1968 Solo Exhibition – Cerberus Gallery, New York.

1970 Group Exhibition Espace Cardin (Salon de la Jeune Sculpture), Paris.

1971 Group Exhibition – Luxemburg (Salon de la Jeune Sculpture), Paris.

1973 Group Exhibition – Espace Cardin (Salon de la Jeune Sculpture), Paris.

1974 Group Exhibition – Contradictions, Paris. Monument to the Fallen Airman, Mt Othris.

1985 Erection of statue of Bouboulina, Spetses.

1988 Solo Exhibition – Ora Gallery.

1990 Solo Exhibition – Skoufa Gallery.

1992 Solo Exhibition – Skoufa Gallery.

1993 Erection of statue of Barbatsi, Spetses. Installation of eleven sculptures at the Old Harbour, Spetses (near the lighthouse).

1994 Erection of the statue of the actress Kiveli, at the Athens Cultural Centre, Athens City Council.