Día De Los Muertos 2023 - Group exhibition
Efthymios' participation in Día De Los Muertos / Day of the dead 2023 exhibition is provided below. The purpose of the exhibition is to highlight the creative ways in which artists from around the world honour this deeply important holiday through artistic expressions of personal and global significance.
"El paseo de las calaveras". Mixed media technique with acrylics, charcoal, watercolours, inks, steel screws,
cotton thread and terracotta clay on plywood, 100x70cm, May 2023.
Model: Phoebe Kate Fisher
Artist's statement:
The inspiration hiding behind my artwork “El paseo de las calaveras” is the traditional Mexican celebration of “Día De Los Muertos” and the special events, which take place under the concept that death is a natural process of life.
On this day, the rather idiosyncratic celebratory events provide a precious opportunity for family members to get together and remember again their loved ones who have passed away. On this wise, their memory is prevented to be blasted into oblivion.
My personal interpretation tried to keep the characteristic elements of the Mexican culture, with the introduction of a twist stemming from the embracement of the surrealistic approach to this particular concept. Even though the composition is comprised of numerous elements represented via the utilisation of acrylics, inks, charcoal, steel screws, terracotta clay and cotton thread, it can in no way be characterised as vastly elaborated or maximalistic, like the typical Mexican approaches. We would perhaps say that this is their minimalistic, light and likely more fairy tale like version.
In the midst of the “Dia de los Muertos”, a child, whose pure soul holds dear memories of her departed grandparents, keeps their spirits alive in her heart. The weight of there treasured recollections is so profound that it generates a rift in the fabric of spacetime, defying all odds. This extraordinary gateway serves as a conduit, allowing the ethereal forms of these cherished ancestors to transcend from the afterlife into her tangible reality. Carrying three balloons shaped like skulls, they serve as gentle reminders of life’s delicate nature and the imperative to embrace joy each and every day. In the lower left part of the artwork, a spider's web holds the sun captive for a few hours so that it won’t rise and blast her loved ones back to the afterlife, seal the gate and keep it firmly closed for 365 days, until the next celebration.
More material (e.g., photos, videos) is accessible from the dedicated blog record by clicking on the icon below:
Facebook event: Click here
Invitation: Click for the Greek version here
Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/TheEuropeanCentreAthens
Instagram Tag: #efthymiospournarasartwork
Duration: 03 November - 03 December 2023
Opening: Friday, 03 November 2023, 18:00-21:00
Venue: The European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies - 74 Mitropoleos Str., Plaka area, 105 63, Athens, Greece (GR)
The artwork is showcased in issue #28 of ARTIST TALK magazine (available from 30.11.2023 and on)
Where to read the article:
- Read the article in the official site of the magazine (go to page 50): https://www.artisttalkmagazine.com/issue-28
- Read the article on the ISSUU platform: https://issuu.com/artisttalkmagazine/docs/artist_talk_magazine_issue_28/50
Visit the On-Line Gallery:
More info via BLOG (Click on the icon below):
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