Hariclia Michailidou
The Odyssey Within
December 15 - January 5, 2010
Reception:
Thursday December 17, 2009 6-8 PM
Press Release
At the heart of Hariclia Michailidou's stunning images are complex ideas about universal forms and the evolution of shapes in our universe. She has stated that the grandeur of the cosmos, and our ideas about the unknowns of infinity and eternity, are at times tormenting and at times exalting, but that it is this very mysterious duality that inspires her work. She takes celestial imagery and re-imagines it to create unique portraits of what she calls the diverse morphology of our universe.
She also makes use of surreal symmetry to create otherworldly tableaus which are both alien yet familiar. Fractured space and time collide in luminescent clusters as size and dimension are stretched by the mass of galaxies speeding by and colliding, looking as if they could also be microscopic life forms. Space bends and light becomes palpable, almost tactile, and it is this quality of her visionary images, coupled with the mystery that lies at their core, which gives these works their power and their humility.
Artist Statement
I was born in a small village in northern Greece in the summer of 1951, at a time when we were emerging from the ruins of the Second World War into a time of great new forces in all areas of life. Those two influences, of the near past and the emerging forces of the future, are always present in my life, both exercising great powers on me transforming my life and my work. Equally, the power of the present also has its effect and certainly the world around me enriches me constantly with new impressions. The sweet fragrances of our planet, the strong desires, the wisdom of great teachers, the grandeur of the universe, our conception of infinity and eternity, the unknown, all of these things, at times tormenting and at times exalting me, are strong forces that form myself and my work as I evolve.
Invitation to the exhibition
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