Cyprus Mail 27 March 2024 - by Eleni Philippou
CITYSCAPES MINDSCAPES ESCAPES - painting & ceramics by Christina Drakos
Lumiere Contemporary Gallery, Limassol
29 March to 1 June - opening night 7pm. W-Fr 3.30-6pm, Sat 11am-11pm
Tel: 25-344141
Lumiere Contemporary Art Gallery in Limassol presents an evocative exhibition of paintings and ceramics by Christina Drakos, aptly titled Cityscapes Mindscapes Escapes, opening on Friday and running until the beginning of summer.
“This series was born from a profound sense of displacement, one that reshaped our relationship with space and our journey through life,” say organisers. “The quarantine measures imposed during the pandemic brought into focus our reliance on space and the essential need to traverse within an ever-shifting grid. With transportation restrictions halting our physical movements, we found ourselves disconnected – not only from people but also from the places they inhabit. It was this very restriction that spurred Christina Drakos to embark on a different kind of journey – a mental escape to the cities that hold a special place in her heart.”
The exhibition showcases a series of paintings that touch on the hues of desire and homecoming. In Drakos’ paintings, people become the echoes of the pandemic era – quarantined yet in perpetual motion, evoking memories, experiences and aspirations. Through a play of geometric and organic forms that depict urban landscapes from various perspectives, people are hinted at as traces.
Sculptures are also featured in the Cityscapes Mindscapes Escapes exhibition, offering a three-dimensional embodiment of the artist’s creative mind. The synergy between the sculptures and paintings, accompanied by the addition of poems and lyrics on the gallery walls, expands the exhibition’s narrative. Beyond her acclaim as an artist and photographer, Drakos is an experienced curator, keenly aware of the ever-shifting gaze of the viewer and the boundless fluidity of art.
Part of the proceeds of the exhibition will benefit the Sagapo Children’s Foundation, supporting the education of underprivileged children in Cyprus and around the globe.
