The woman who photographed doors
It has taken three years, but one artists now brings the gateway to 75 homes to an exhibition in Larnaca
Cyprus’ beauty has served as a subject of endless photographs; be it scenery, aerial photography, ancient tombs and churches or a forgotten abandoned old house. But concentrating on something a little more mundane, Christine Brantemar is currently exhibiting 75 photographs of Larnaca doors.
“Actually, doors were not my first option,” she said, with a sense of excitement in her voice, “I started with a bigger project covering traditional aspects of Larnaca, like old professions, everyday life among older people and also focused on old buildings. When someone pointed out a specific door on an old, abandoned house I had photographed, I knew it would be a great idea to expand and take more pictures of these marvellous features, which by the way, I feel noone notices.” She was fascinated by the craftsmanship and beauty these essential pieces of wood, hold. “I always felt there was a mystery behind a door, especially one like these. Who could have lived there? Why is no one living there anymore? I believe them to be invaluable cultural treasures, which are a natural element of everyday life.”
Despite the fact that every village in Cyprus boasts houses that are barely standing, with doors to match, Christine feels that Larnaca offers something different. “To me, Larnaca has two sides. One of them is the modern city life with the beaches and the other is simple, cultural and old-fashioned, which I absolutely adore. When I first showed my photographs to people, they would always ask me: ‘Is that in Larnaca?’”
Christine believes that people sometimes have a mistaken approach to Cyprus. “Most Scandinavians think that Cyprus is all about partying, Ayia Napa and beaches but I always tell them ‘not my Cyprus!’”
This was one of the main reasons why Christine began documenting the lively traditions and everyday life in the back streets of old Larnaca. “I felt I had to introduce a small yet significant part of Larnaca through my pictures.”
Throughout the four years Christine has lived in Cyprus, she has grown to appreciate old neglected houses and the work that had been put into each door. As she walked me through her photographs, it was difficult not to notice the details and outstanding colours of each door. “They are all beautiful in their own way but unfortunately a couple of these don’t exist anymore. I passed by this one a week ago,” she said showing me a picture of a very old, dilapidated light blue door, “and the house has been torn down. It’s a shame and I’m really hoping that more and more people will begin restoring these places and not actually knocking them down.”
It took Christine three years to complete her project. “But that’s only because I am a very busy woman,” she quipped. Indeed, Christine is also working as a consultant, personal coach and gives seminars about service/customer relations, communication, personal progress and career planning. For now, however, she is working behind the camera more often and even spending a great deal of her time here rather than Stockholm, where she was born and raised. “I first came to Cyprus when I was holidaying a few years back and I fell in love with the island and have now moved here,” she said. And although she doesn’t have a degree in photography, she has “taken courses”. But more importantly, she has studied Cyprus history.
Joining Christine in a bid to breathe life into forgotten traditional aspects of life and appreciating existing features, Photos Demetriou will also be exhibiting the art of ceramics. “I have been working ceramics, clay and porcelain since I was in school,” he explained. Since winning a prize in the art of ceramics and gaining the title of Academic Sculptor, Demetriou has taken part in many exhibitions including the Biennale in Cairo, France, Italy, Belgium, Germany and Australia. During the exhibition with Christine, Demetriou will be displaying 15 different sculptures made of different materials such as fusing glass, clay and others.
The exhibition also features another artist, Maria Vasiliou, who will be displaying ‘The fairy tale of the clay’.
Exhibition of photography, ceramics and sculpture at Kypriaki Gonia Gallery, Larnaca. Until January 27. For opening hours and other information tel: 24 621109
