A lifestyle gone forever
New exhibition evokes village life before the tourists came
Visit the lush Greek island of Lesvos today and you will find beautiful beaches, interesting wildlife and excellent cuisine. But this beauty comes with a price tag. At practically every picturesque spot that you stumble upon, you will find other tourists cluttering the views and experiences you want to appreciate in solitude.
It was all so different just a few decades ago. The island was virtually untouched by visitors. Village life revolved around a chat with the neighbour, daily work in the fields, and family gatherings on days of rest. And it is this world that captivated the Greek painter, Niki Eleftheriades, now exhibiting her work at Gallery K in Nicosia.
Niki’s solo show will appeal to all art lovers appreciative of a lifestyle that has gone forever. Her work depicts this life in vibrant colour and with expert precision.
Born in Lesvos in 1954, she was surrounded by art from a young age as her father was an excellent painter, while her beloved uncle edited the legendary magazine, Cahiers des Arts.
“The walls in our house were full of paintings and everywhere I looked, I would be faced with yet another image staring right back at me,” says Niki. “I think it was natural or ‘meant to be’ that I would turn to art later on in life.”
As Niki grew up, she studied the mythology of beauty and learned to enjoy every aspect of life, fully appreciating the charm of her people and the splendours of her environment. She went on to study interior and graphic design in Athens, before going on to France to study painting at the Paris V111 University.
Take a glace at her current work, and you’ll notice that she deliberately uses a simple, almost na?ve technique to express the purity of island life in the past. As she recreates memories stroke by stroke, characters seem to rejoice in everyday moments, usually in an environment dominated by an impressive landscape.
“As I looked out from my family home, the beautiful sea would twinkle in the distance, while the mountains would create the perfect backdrop behind the house,” says the artist.
She resists being influenced by the work of others, and her style is reminiscent of a tapestry, with its rhythmic compositions gently harmonising with softly shadowed areas of colour. You’ll be struck by the rich tones of the greens and blues of the sea, and the variations of light, according to the time of day depicted in her paintings.
As these island scenes are brought to life, you’ll catch a glimpse of the rugged island landscape, mountains covered in rich flora, and old houses with beautiful terraces.
“One of my greatest memories are those of the gatherings my mother used to have at home, where women would sit on the terrace drinking wine or coffee,” she says.
Take a close look at the canvas and you’ll be captivated by the somewhat wistful-looking ladies, with their long necks and dreamy eyes that seem to symbolise unfulfilled wishes. Depicted with almost identical features, they gaze in contemplation of their surroundings. Do they seek escape? Or are they just gazing in serene contemplation of their surroundings?
“We must remember that these are women from a past generation that stayed home while the man went out to earn a living,” Niki explains. “They are not necessarily unhappy but they are always waiting for something interesting to happen. Perhaps it is a longing for the man who will come by and charm them, perhaps it is an expectation of an interesting visitor from another village or island.”
On the one hand, the paintings depict the severe simplicity of island life before tourists arrived, far from the tumult of the city. On the other hand, you’ll detect a real feel of nostalgia as the characters on the canvas draw you into a world that seems much purer than life in the way we know it today.
“When I finish each painting I like to sit back and travel within the scene in my mind. I would love other people to also be a part of this experience,” says Niki.
I was struck in particular by a painting of two young women in a valley shortly after the first rain of the season. The sky reflects a reddish hue over the mountains, and the two women are in deep conversation. Perhaps they are sharing dreams and fantasises, perhaps they are discussing merely the mundane events of the day. What they are actually talking about we will never know, but our imaginations are free to roam when the past is another country.
Niki Eleftheriades
Solo exhibition of paintings. Until November 30. Gallery K, 14 Evrou St, Strovolos, Nicosia. Monday-Friday 10am-1pm and 4pm-8pm. Saturday 10am-1pm. Tel: 22-341122
