PENELOPE’S PALETTE: A Greek-Australian Art Odyssey
Efrossini Chaniotis, a Greek-Australian contemporary artist returns to her hometown for a solo show of sculptures and paintings.
For 10 days in May, Efrossini will be sharing for the first time with Adelaide audiences a vibrant and spirited collection of her artistic adventures. Be prepared to hear her narrate The Fisherman and Mermaid’s Tale and her Wishing Tree story. an ongoing project that was created by the art itself, her Modern Icons, a genre of art inspired by nostalgia for Greece, and sculptures that are odes to Cycladic art and her father’s birthplace Mykonos.
Efrossni’s art is person centered, vibrant, expressive and narrative in nature, drawing on childhood experiences of storytelling, mythology and a deep appreciation for her Hellenic background. She retells myths and generates new ones using painted sculptures and canvas paintings in a unique style that combines Byzantine iconography with an expressive palette influenced by modern European art.
The artist invites you to her exhibition opening celebration taking place on Thursday May 16th from 6-9pm
WHO IS THE ARTIST EFROSSINI CHANIOTIS?
⦁ Born in Adelaide Efrossini majored in sculpture at the South Australian School of Art and then did a second full degree at the Athens school of Fine Arts in Greece, majoring in painting. Whilst studying she worked her summers on the island of Corfu drawing portraits of tourists to support herself and in the winter months in Athens worked as a member of a Byzantine iconography guild and a theater set design assistant.
⦁ After 8 years overseas, she settled in Melbourne to do a Master of Art Therapy, working in the field professionally for 5 years and becoming a cofounder of the ‘Melbourne Art Therapy Studio’.
⦁ Efrossini went on to establish her Little Mykonos Studio’ integrating all that she’d learnt into her own professional arts practice,
⦁ Her strong interest in street art and murals saw her being included in the City of Melbourne’s painted electricity boxes project and was featured in the popular ‘Burn City: Melbourne’s painted streets” graffiti art publication.
⦁ Between 2014 -2015 she spent 9 months in South America with her Travelling Paintbrush Project painting murals, street art and working with a local NGO to design a playground for children in a remote village in the mountains of Northern Columbia.
⦁ Efrossini currently works as a freelance artist based in Melbourne and exhibits regularly in group and solo exhibitions. She describes herself distinctly as a GREEK-AUSTRALIAN artist. Her personal, cultural and professional experience artistically and conceptually ties directly into her artworks.
KEY DATES AND INFO
⦁ OPENING CELEBRATION: Thursday 16th May 6-9pm. (Early viewing by appointment only 11-2pm)
⦁ ARTIST TALK: Sunday 19th May 2-3pm
⦁ CLOSING CELEBRATION: Saturday 25th May 3-6pm
⦁ Meet the artist at the Gallery. Open every day 11am -6pm
