Artemis Tsitouri | Between the Lines

Her work is mainly influenced by the work of Georgia O’ Keefe, David Salle, Michael Stubbs, Chronis Botsoglou and Panagiotis Tetsis. Her artistic approach is founded on color dynamics, as well as on the creation of fictional painting compositions based on realistic elements which comprise narrative entities. Using her artistic background, cultivated at the Museum, the quest for directness in painting and the persistence for evolution as her tools, she created a group of paintings which combine all the above elements and consist her first solo exhibition titled “Between the Lines”....more

Color ιs my basic tool of inspiration. My paintings usually begin with an idea from a color combination which then evolves into a composition. I try to be daring and seek freedom in my work, as I often take risks that lead me to different directions. Realism, theory and composition comprise the other aspect of my work. This two-fold way of expression is sometimes contradictory but sometimes serves as a stabilizer to the more figurative part of it. I prefer creating larger pictures rather than smaller ones which I usually find challenging. My painting approach is a mixture of conscious control over the use of the visuals, along with an intentional lack of it. This leaves me ground for random “mistakes” which often end up becoming a precious part of a painting. Colorful lines and geometrical objects create space by imposing some sort of order. In the more abstract works the use of thick and thin paint, in an almost instinctive way, marks the effort to create the dynamics of the colors in order to create some sort of balance between them. My inspiration originates from everything. I often use visuals from newspapers and magazines. Memories, humor and feelings are clues to look for in my compositions. The combination of colors used in a piece of my work along with the painted visuals in it, are a new narrative each time. The viewers are encouraged to make their own combinations of pictures, in order to read “Between the Lines”.

Artemis Tsitouri was born in Athens Greece in 1978. She is a graduate of the Moraitis School, and has obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art (with a specialization in Painting) with honors from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK and a Master’s Degree in Cultural Management from the University of Paris IX Dauphine. She began her professional career at the art department of the Goulandris Natural History Museum, where she learned a lot about nature and collected amounts of information about the environment. She also was a part of the curating team of the Museum and assisted in the organization of numerous exhibitions, seminars and lectures. Artemis recently began teaching painting at a private art school. She also publishes articles and a regular column about art and fashion in an online magazine. [Biography updated on: 10/5/2012]