On Thursday, May 30th, 2019 at 20:00pm, Roma Gallery has the pleasure of opening a rare exhibition of works by two exceptional artists.
The exhibition, titled “Christos Kapralos (1909-1993) and Vasso Katraki (1914-1988): “Elegies in Stone and Metal” presents works shown together for the first time in a unique and historic aesthetic dialogue, the greatest Post-War,Greek sculptor Christos Kapralos and the most significant Greek engraver, Vasso Katraki. A dialogue between stone and metal, a timeless myth for a forthcoming contemporary history. Both Kapralos and Katraki represent the artistic expression which reflects in the most developed way possible a particularly Greek essence and the dramatic turns in history that the nation experiences.
Both share the imagery and symbolism based in myths, mankind, charioteers, heroic horsemen, wounded soldiers, the mother in waiting, men and women of Pindos and the figures of the Resistance. Symbols that through battling emotions, through the mediums used and the forms created evolve into artworks which move us with their meaningful quality. Kapralos through his work, takes on the fate of “Hellenism” exactly as did George Seferis. Katraki on the other hand supports the spirit of the Resistance through different periods,in many ways similarly to Yiannis Ritsos. The elegiastic character of these artworks presented in the exhibition evoke both the deepest elements of artistic skill and spiritual sensitivity.
Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to connect with the actual “act and process” of Vasso Katraki’s creating of sculpture which are the beginnings of her final artworks. These five original moulds in stone are displayed in a dialogue with the sculptural works of Christos Kapralos. Beginning with the art of woodcutting, Katraki will spend 1955 engraving onto stone (sandstone) and she conquers this medium after developing her own and unique technique. As the art historian Yiannis Bolis expresses, “The drawings of Vasso Katraki exhibited in the exhibition are among certain studies for monumental compositions such as “The Fall of Karaiskakis” and the “Attack” and also for the larger body of works inspired by horses from the early 1960’s. These works are exceptional with their fluid lines and simplicity, their strength and their precision. They are born out of white backdrops of paper with an astounding sense of balance and rhythm. The lines are free, continuous and they flow to create forms, they impose upon the surface with their body and weight, giving us a sense of their possibility their shapes and the spiritual concerns of the artist, guide us in a unique way into her world with her themes ranging from the human, the loneliness of existence, the tangible and the intangible, the rise and the fall, the deepest sense of life and the inevitability of death. The drawings exhibited map and gather together all of the artistic gamut of Vasso Katraki’s work, the political and social dimensions of her expression and creation, her human subject matter and the endurance of her symbolisms.
A unifying line connects the creations of Vasso Katraki and the creations of Christos Kapralos. At the core are the subjects of man, life and destiny. In Kapralos’ lithographs, drawings and small sculptures which are included in this exhibition, the aesthetic qualities and values in his works are evident. The studies indicate his influences from ancient Greek art, as well as references to contemporary questions and influences from Greek Folk art. His subjects, the human forms, horses and couples are executed in great simplicity as well as with expressionism. The forms are simplified and rendered in positive and negative, in light and shadow, with sensitivity to shape. They are romantic, dramatic and symbolic in content. The world of Christos Kapralos meets that of Vasso Katraki in an inspiring discussion and encounter of two emblematic creators of Greek art.”
“I begin with a great love of man and this is what I wish to express.”
Christos Kapralos
“It interests me to come as close as possible to communicating with people, to speak to them in their own language. That is the greatest achievement for the work of an artist. To whom will I speak…to the void? I don’t choose certain subjects, but rather experiences.These may come from the country in which you live or from outside it, it is enough that it be human experiences. Something that destroys an artist is the chase for originality. We must express our emotions. One must not look for things outside of oneself to make an impression. Your entire body of artwork will grant you your final place”.
Vasso Katraki
Opening: Thursday, May 30th,2019 at 8:00 pm
Duration: May 30 – July 31st, 2019
Hours:
Monday,Wednesday,Saturday, 11:00-17:00
Tuesday,Thursday,Friday, 11:00- 21:00
Roma Gallery opened dynamically in early January 2019 on Roma Street 5 in Kolonaki with the very successful exhibitions of works by Pavlos (Dionyssopoulos), Dimitris Mytaras and Alekos Fassianos. The goal is to provide a vibrant and innovative space devoted to post-war and contemporary art. The gallery exhibits works by established and emerging artists from all over the world while seeking to inform the public and to create a link between Greek artists and art venues outside of Greece.
