St. Brides Church – Fleet Street, by Renos Lavithis
A first group exhibition of London Cypriot artists in Nicosia
‘London to Nicosia – Art, Expression and Connection’, an exhibition which aims to link Cypriot artists of the British diaspora with their homeland, will be hosted at the Zmart Gallery of Loukia & Michael Zampelas Art Museum this April.
Painters Renos Lavithis and Andrea Tyrimos, painter and printmaker Despina Symeou and photographer Robert Kyprianou come together, combining their creativity to present a shared body of work in an effort to bridge the gap between the Cypriot art community in Cyprus and in England.
The exhibition is an ideal way for British Cypriot artists to be introduced to their home country, and enhance the ties between Cyprus and the UK as well as the broader Cypriot diaspora.
Simultaneously, the four participating artists will seek to illustrate how the influence in their upbringing and training abroad is linked with an inherent sense of Cypriot creativity and expression.
Morning commute on Inle Lake, by Rober Kyprianou
The exhibition aspires to establish an open-ended artistic dialogue between Cypriot artists and those of the diaspora.
Robert Kyprianou is the person behind the idea for the exhibition: “I was familiar with the vision of Loukia and Michael Zampelas and their Museum, having been to a plethora of the exhibitions hosted within that space. The atmosphere is always warm and welcoming and the constant celebration of the Cypriot artist is something that relates to the love that I have for my homeland. Last year I visited an exhibition of established artists from the English Cypriot community in London and was very impressed by the standard of the work on display. That is how the idea began – connecting three artists and one photographer from North London to their roots, exhibiting their art amongst their Cypriot peers in Nicosia. The exhibition will be a first of its kind, reminding us of both the talent and reach of the Cypriot diaspora.”
Depina Symeou. Walking on the pier
The exhibition will be held at Zmart Gallery from 6 – 30 April (27 Arch. Makarios III Avenue, Kaimakli, 1020 Nicosia). Private view on Wednesday 6 April, at 7pm
The exhibition will be opened by the High Commissioner of the UK in Cyprus, Rik Todd.
The exhibition is sponsored by the UK Cyprus Enterprise Council, the Loukia & Michael Zampelas Art Museum and the Cyprus Mail, and is supported by Eurobank Cyprus.
Shoreditch nights by Andrea Tyrimos
THE ARTISTS
Renos Lavithis
“The blue skies and the sea of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean, featuring boats and coastal seascapes, provide the artist with continuous stimulation. They are the memories of his childhood and still remain a constant source of inspiration.”
(* Due to ill health Renos will not be able to attend the exhibition. His work will be brought to Nicosia with his family’s permission)
Despina Symeou
“I mostly work with the human form be it representational or abstract, but I also have an eye for interesting and quirky elements which on occasion find a way into the style that I tend to work in.”
Andrea Tyrimos
“My paintings are based on the phenomenon of artificial light coupled with the issue of electronic reproduction. I use my own photographic imagery to create the paintings, often taken by mobile phones and cameras at a relatively low resolution.”2
Robert Kyprianou
“With over a 30 year career in the City I retired to have more time to combine two of my life’s greatest pleasures -photography and adventure travel. Through my camera I have had the opportunity to witness places of wonder and meet people whose life stories are often written on their faces.”
Sponsors
The UK Cyprus Enterprise Council
Loukia & Michael Zampelas Art Museum
Cyprus Mail
Supporters
Eurobank Cyprus
