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Essence of Athena
Art is a window that the viewer uses to observe and experience the inner world of the artist and in turn, the artist uses it to change the viewer’s perception of reality. Athena Anastasiou knows very well this capacity of art and is what she reflects in her work, that is why each of her pieces is presented as a window to a person or space from her perception.
Athena’s journey started when she was drawing animals and nature as a young child as many do. Painting elephants and rainbows, Athena found herself drawn to art and creative process which is why she decided to further study and pursue art as a career. She studied Art History and experimented with different mediums and techniques, playing around with her ideas and discovering her artistic voice and vision.
“I have always been interested in the figure and face, as I feel the eyes are always the connection with a person and they say so much.”
Window To the Soul
Currently, Athena works in portrait painting and explores the color, form, and texture. Working in large formats with vibrant color palettes, Athena’s technique resembles collage a little. Using thick strokes loaded with material, the painting takes on a three-dimensional quality – both literary and figuratively – inviting the viewer to experience the painting from Athena’s point of view. Her work explores the perception of the human being not only physically, but from an almost holistic point of view – exploring one’s personality or even spirituality.
“My interests have always lied in connection, empowerment, questioning the norm, and seeing beyond what we think is real, a sense of the otherworldly.”
Athena’s paintings are windows to the soul of the artist and the object on the canvas. In all the portraits of Athena, the gaze of the people portrayed has a strength that transcends the plasticity of the work and they feel as if they were alive, there, communicating their thoughts through the gaze. She achieves this goal by letting go of control and expectations, allowing herself to experiment and draw ideas and inspiration from daily occurrences.
“My aim is to lift people up to a place of connection, love, and realization. My aim for myself and others is to realize our true power and light that is inside so we can enjoy this life to the full. My practical aim is for people to take the joy out of being with or seeing my work so I can continue to create, which is such an honest and delightful exchange.”
Leaving aside the brushes, Athena currently works with spatulas to minimize the amount of strokes on the work without disturbing the intensity or the essence of the portraits, and this, on the contrary, gives such a powerful force to the portrayed – it softens the light and gives a somewhat daydreaming aura that generates a greater connection with the essence between the work and the viewer.
