H συλλογή Fragments from an Aegean Shore προκύπτει από τη συνεργασία δύο Ελλήνων καλλιτεχνών, της Ελληνοαυστραλής Danae Natsis, δημιουργού σύγχρονου κοσμήματος η οποία ζει και εργάζεται στο Σύδνεϋ της Αυστραλίας και του ελληνοαμερικανικής καταγωγής Lou Εfstathiou, ζωγράφου και γλύπτη ο οποίος ζει και εργάζεται στην Αθήνα. Μέσα από την κοινή τους δουλειά ενώνουν την αγάπη τους για την ιστορία του ελληνικού πολιτισμού, τα έργα τέχνης της αρχαιότητας, τη θάλασσα καθώς και τα αντικείμενα που ξυπνούν τη μνήμη.
Για πολλά χρόνια ο Lou Efstathiou συγκέντρωνε θραύσματα από κεραμικά πλακάκια από τις παραλίες της Κέας. Στη συνέχεια, έχοντας ως πηγή έμπνευσης τη ζωγραφική των Μινωικών και αρχαίων χρόνων, ζωγράφισε απεικονίσεις ψαριών του Αιγαίου, γυναικείες μορφές και θεότητες του Μινωικού πολιτισμού πάνω στα ξεβρασμένα από τη θάλασσα θραύσματα και ξύλα, προσδίδοντας στα έργα του μια Αριστοφανική διάθεση.
To ενδιαφέρον της Danae Natsis για τα αρχαία ευρήματα, τους θησαυρούς της θάλασσας και το θαλάσσιο περιβάλλον αποτελούν για εκείνη πηγή έμπνευσης που την ωθεί να μεταμορφώσει αυτά τα θραύσματα σε προσωπικά αντικείμενα που κοσμούν το σώμα.
H μεταμόρφωση ενός απλού υλικού, όπως ο πηλός, από το χρόνο μαζί με την εικαστική παρέμβαση δύο καλλιτεχνών, δημιουργούν μια αναπαράσταση ενός αρχαίου θραύσματος με στόχο να κοσμήσει το σώμα.
Εγκαίνια : Πέμπτη, 20 Ιουλίου 2017, 19.00 – 22.00
Διάρκεια έκθεσης : 20.07.17 – 20.08.17
*H Γκαλερί θα είναι κλειστή aπό τις 6 έως τις 20 Αυγούστου λόγω διακοπών.
Εleni Marneri Galerie presents the jewelry exhibition Fragments from an Aegean Shore. Danae Natsis is a Greek/Australian contemporary jeweler living and working in Sydney, Australia. Lou Efstathiou is a Greek/American painter and sculptor living and working in Athens, Greece. In this body of collaborative work, they have brought together their shared love of Greek cultural history, ancient artifacts, the sea, and humorous and intimate objects.
For many years Lou Efstathiou, his family, and friends, have spent time collecting sea-worn ceramic tile fragments from a beach on the island of Kea where Lou has his summer studio. Lou started drawing amusing and intimate portraits of fish of the Aegean, leisurely women, and Minoan goddesses on these tiles, as well as on found wood panels. He at first made the tile drawings as miniatures to amuse himself and friends and family with a sense of Aristophanic humor.
For Danae Natsis, Lou’s works continue the marine themes in her work, as well as her interest in ancient artifacts and treasures from under the sea. She transforms these artworks into personal adornments according to the tradition of miniature portrait jewelry. Danae is interested in the transformation of everyday material, clay, into a precious artifact – in this case, with the intervention of time and two contemporary artists, a simulacrum of an ancient fragment.
Opening: Thursday 20 July 2017, 19:00 – 22:00
Duration: 20.07.17 – 20.8.17
*Τhe Galerie will be closed for summer vacations from the 6th to the 20th of August.
Artist Biographies
Danae Natsis is a Greek-Australian jewellery artist, born in Athens and living and working in Sydney. She graduated from the College of Fine Arts, UNSW and has an Advanced Diploma in Jewellery & Object Design from Design Centre Enmore, Tafe NSW. Awards include an Australia Council Art Start Grant, the Student Development Award at Buda Contemporary Australian Silver & Metalwork Exhibition, & an Honorable Mention in the 7th International Cheongju Craft Biennale in Korea. She has staged international solo exhibitions at el.Marneri Galerie in Athens, Greece, and at Studio 2017 in Sydney, Australia. She has also had work shown at Joya Barcelona International Contemporary Jewellery Fair and at the Hellenic Museum in Melbourne.
Danae was artist in residence at Montsalvat in Victoria, and has been published in Marthe Le Van & Bruce Metcalf, Showcase 500 Rings: New Directions in Art Jewelry.
Lou Efstathiou is a Greek-American sculptor and painter who has lived and worked in Greece for more than 40 years. Born in New Hampshire, and raised in Boston, Mass., he studied sculpture at Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts, where he received numerous prizes and fellowships. After graduating with honours, he was awarded a prestigious Hunt traveling scholarship which allowed him to travel and study art extensively in Asia and Europe. He has exhibited widely in the United States and Europe, including a 20-year retrospective at the Hellenic American Union, Athens, and his works are held in numerous collections. Efstathiou is also a qualified teacher and has taught art at the University of New Hampshire, St Paul’s School, New Hampshire, and the Athens Campus of the University of La Verne.
