On the occasion of the upcoming art exhibition HiVerid Mind that will take place in Athens from November 24th to December 8th in Booze Cooperativa, we present to you one of our participating artists, Nefeli Stouraiti. The whole exhibition consists of female organizers and artists and displays fragments of the individual in this hubrid reality.
Nefeli was born in Athens in 1998 and she is currently studying fine arts in Florence. As an artist she displays mainly esoteric issues and emotional reflections in an abstract manner. We talked with her about her work, her inspiration and her future.
1. What is the logical (or even emotional) process that precedes the creation of your works?
As an art student, I believe that I have yet to fully conquer a steady creative approach. I often choose to lean on the learning approaches of my educational field in order to fill the creative process. The learning approach of art schools includes the personal search for sensations, experiences and reason, which after research and study will hopefully be transformed into painting.
2. Describe the content of your works in three words.
I would say that my personal artistic style is of formalistic, cubistic and abstract origins.
3. So far, which of your projects do you feel you have a little more connection with? Do you have a favorite?
There is a project of mine, at the beginning of my search, which is the one with which I have the greatest connection, as it highlighted and defined my current path. I believe that it is also the one in which my whole creative process and perpective reside. I would say that I rely on a logical/analytical process mostly, which is also based on my personal feeling, as follows: I use structures of cubism, resulting in emotional distortions of its forms, which lead to a personal expressionism. While in process, I exaggerate elements of the volume of one or more figures, recreating the space they belong to. I map this formalism to an imaginary musculature, which I often call anthropomorphic flowers. This potential shape and its kinetic dimension are like a puzzle to me, because I often let the drawing to lead me to a potential representation.
4. Tell us briefly about the stimuli and/or events that inspire your works.
The theme in most works, even today, is dance, hugging and the imaginative approach to personal memories and experiences that I transform into painting.
5. If an artist could teach you - regardless of fame, era and current - who would you want it to be? Why?
Behind all this, there are Picasso and Giacometti, teachers with whom I have a constant dialogue. Their influence is obvious in my works, hence the references to their legacy.
6. What are your plans for the near future? Where do you expect to be a year from now?
Thus, my path so far leads me, almost necessarily, to the postgraduate continuation of my studies, as well as the participation in international competitions, workshops and collaborations, hoping for the realization of my plans.
As a young artist, Nefeli aims to find herself in her paintings and depict collective concerns through her canvas. You can find her on Instagram: @nefeli_stouraiti
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