5 minute read
Interview with Christina Michalopoulou
“When painting, I feel a whole, solid piece of material of existence, powerful yet vulnerable.”
by Leene Pärtel
I had the pleasure of interviewing Christina Michalopoulou, a Thessaloniki based contemporary artist. She experiments with a broad variety of art styles; her work can be described as a “constant battle between abstractionism and realism”.
Can you tell me about your artistic journey?
I returned to painting 7 years ago after a long hiatus. It would seem that I was gathering images and shapes during that time. I was building an unconscious archive that lived somewhere underneath my breath. They have all been pouring out since then, unstoppable, in acrylic and oil, in abstraction and hyperreal figuration, in blossoming color and start monochrome. My work is a constant battle between abstraction and realism. Creating figurative, photorealistic human figures, faces and body parts on one hand, bringing them in total contradiction with hard core contemporary abstraction on the other. I am interested in desire, love, obsession, sadness and elation, claustrophobia and liberation, hells and heavens.
© Leene Pärtel
There are many people who question whether abstractionism even qualifies as high value art. Have you experienced something like that, felt like your more abstract pieces gain less recognition in the art world?
My first steps in the world of painting were through realism and hyperrealism. Viewers seemed to be impressed by the detail, the accurate color palette, the way a scar, or a body part, or a sight of a pair of eyes was captured on canvas... The story a body had to share with the viewer.
But, when I started working more and more on abstraction, I realized that people felt so much happier, more comfortable and more touched by the endless meanings, the pure feeling and the freedom of abstraction in my paintings.
A s I see it now, my realistic and figurative art has been admired but my abstract art is actually being loved….
What advice would you have for those trying to break into the world of contemporary art?
Be committed, be consistent and be patient. Be organized and learn how to promote your work properly.
“My work, in general, whether it is figurative or abstract, is always challenging the viewer to confront and doubt a variety of preconceived ideas about beauty, desire, femininity, the human skin, and the movement of a body in space.”
The female body seems to be central to your work. What does the representation of the body mean to you?
My work is focused mainly on female existence. My previous body of work called “Selfie” presented the imperfections of a body that has grown, a skin that bears the scars of time and a movement that whispers one’s deepest desires. It presented in a “raw” way uncomfortable yet familiar truths about ourselves and our connection to our environment. My work, in general, whether it is figurative or abstract, is always challenging the viewer to confront and doubt a variety of preconceived ideas about beauty, desire, femininity, the human skin, and the movement of a body in space.
“I truly believe this should be the purpose of Art, to be powerful, to shout out messages, to confront fears of existence, to doubt, challenge, influence, dare and tumble.”
Balancing the serious and the playful in your art is intriguing. How do you find this duality?
I can be both at the same time. So is my life. Therefore, so is my art…
You said that one of the aims of your art is comforting your own fears and insecurities. It requires a lot of courage to be that transparent and open up about your vulnerabilities. How much of yourself do you put into your art?
I paint because it takes away fears and makes me feel protected, stronger, braver. When painting, I feel a whole, solid piece of material of existence, powerful yet vulnerable. Every hidden, subconscious emotion of fear, love, passion, hunger, loneliness influences my work, inspires me to create, forces me to paint and spreads it violently or tenderly on my canvas. Then, my art becomes me and my canvas becomes my escape land…
What kind of experiences or feelings do you wish to evoke in people with your art? Do you have an overarching message that you aim to convey?
I truly believe this should be the purpose of Art, to be powerful, to shout out messages, to confront fears of existence, to doubt, challenge, influence, dare and tumble. This is also what my new abstract series “Glowing Darkness” in progress is about. It has to do with finding light through the darkest hours, facing your soul in the chaos and staying loyal to your inner freedom even in the saddest times.
“When painting, I feel a whole, solid piece of material of existence, powerful yet vulnerable. ”
Her new series was presented at the opening event of her new art gallery, in Thessaloniki, on the 24th of November.
If you want to find out more about Christina Michalopoulou and her work, visit her art gallery The Art Space or visit the following sources:
website: https://www.christinamichalopoulou.com/
instagram: christina_michalopoulou_art
