DIMITRA XENAKI - Grecia
Contatti: dimitraxenaki78@gmail.com
Marcella
Aeolus II
oil on canvas 30 x 40 cm
oil on canvas 130 x 100 cm
Nocturno II
Phoebe
oil on canvas 30 x 40 cm
oil on canvas 100 x 70 cm
Silence
Galloping in the mist
oil on canvas diptych 30 x 40 cm
watercolors 30 x 40 cm
Sulla sua Arte
Il suo Curriculum
Studies
2009-2014 BA (Honours) Fine and Applied Arts
University of Western Macedonia
2002-2006: BA (Honours) University of Athens – Faculty of Philosophy- Department of Theatre Studies
Current Occupation
Year 2016-Present: Drama teacher and Art Teacher, working with adults and children.
Year 2015-2021: Director of two theatre companies.
Awards
2021: Honorary title from the "Worldwide Female Equine Artists Assosiation" as one of the best Equine Artists in the world.
2013: Award for the portrait of "Phoebe" (2nd Pan-Hellenic Competition of Visual Arts 2013)
2011: Praise for her participation in “Wine and Art competition”
Honorary titles
2024: : 2nd Prize and Honorable Mention at the category “Oils” in the international Competition of the Equus Film Festival 2024 (New Mexico, U.S.A.)
2011-2012 Honorary title for artwork, Hellenic Institute of Scholarships
2010-2011Honorary title for artwοrk, Hellenic Institute of Scholarships.
Participation in group exhibitions and events
April 2010: Participation in the painting exhibition of the Department of Visual and Applied Arts of the University of Western Macedonia, in the old market of Kypseli, Athens.
May 2010: Participation in the art exhibition of the Archaeological Museum of Aiani, Kozani.
June-August 2010: Exhibition of Scenography, held by the Department of Scenography, of the School of Fine and Applied Arts, Athens.
June 2010: Participation in 7 days workshop, organized by the Department of Fine and Applied Arts of the University of Western Macedonia, at Prespa lakes.
May 2011: Art exhibition "Wine and Art", prefecture of Western Macedonia.
November 2012: Art Exhibition of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, in collaboration with established greek visual artists (Museum of Modern Art of Florina)
May 2013:1st Trienale in Thessaloniki. Subject: The Serpent's Egg. (Gallery of Colours)
May 2013: 2nd Pan-Hellenic Painting Contest. Award for the portrait of "Phoebe" and shortlisted for the finalists’ group painting show.
August 2013: Art Show organized by Epsilon Art Gallery (Loutraki)
April 2014: "Soul Cries": Art show at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Florina.
June 2014: Participation in the 7th Biennale of Greece’s Schools of Fine Arts with the portrait of “Phoebe” (Athens, Theocharakis Foundation)
April 2015: Art Show «Quart-T» at Artis Causa Gallery, Thessaloniki.
June 2015: Participation in the art show «Made in Greece», at the Gallery «Is not Gallery», in Cyprus, Nicosia – in collaboration with Lola Nicolaou Art Gallery.
November 2015: The painting "Supplication" was selected by the Florence Biennale 2015.
January 2016: Αrt show at "Is Not Gallery" (Nicosia, Cyprus)
February 2017: Art show at "Is Not Gallery" (Nicosia, Cyprus)
March 2018: Art Show at "Is Not Gallery" (Nicosia, Cyprus)
October 2018: Participation in the Art Show "Greece… Country of Miracles” Μalou Art Gallery
November 2018: Participation in the group exhibition " My Name is None" Μalou Art Gallery
December 2019: Honor title as an Art Teacher, as two of her students won the gold medal at the 1st Olympiad of Painting, organized by the Children’s Gallery of Greece, organized by the President of Hellenic Democracy, Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos.
June 2020: Honor title as an Art Teacher, as five of her students won the prize at the "Aegean Kids Biennale 2020",organized by the Children’s Gallery of Greece, an official Cultural Agency of the Ministry of Culture of Greece.
June 2020-October 2023: Domes Miramare, Loudos Fine Art, Corfu Island. Group exhibition courated by Thanos Loudos.
October 2023: Participation in the “Colorful” group exhibitions, Omnibus Gallery, Dresden, Germany
October 2023: Participation in the “Portraits” group exhibitions, Barbagelata Art Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
November 2023: : Participation in the “My Animals” group exhibitions, Omnibus Gallery, Dresden, Germany
January 2024: : Participation in the “Portraits ” group exhibitions, Omnibus Gallery, Dresden, Germany
June – October 2024: Chania Art 2024. An art festival dedicated that year in the memory of Konstantinos P. Kavafis, one of the most famous Greek poets. I was commissioned to paint his portrait for the basic exhibition , as a honorable mention.
Solo Shows
2014: “Monologues”, solo show at the Art Gallery of Municipality of Piraeus.
2016: “Prayer”, solo show at MYRO Gallery. Curator: Paris Kapralos. In collaboration with the Jazz music group Decauville Band. A poetic dialog between music and painting.
2017: “Place and Presence”, solo show at MYRO Gallery. Curator: Paris Kapralos. 2018: “Place and Presence”, solo show at Hyatt Regency Hotel, Thessaloniki
Painting and Theatre Projects
2015: “Look At Me”. A dialog between Painting and Theatre , in collaboration with the theatre company “4 Frontal”, of the Athens’ Consernatoire.
2015: Art Athina. Participation in the event of the art group “En Flo”, at the Museum of Anatolia.
2015: Participation in the art project «Removement», Santorini.
Theatre Performances
Director of the following with own theatre company
“Prometheus” of Aeschylus, 2019
“The Cherry Orchard” of Anton Chekhov, 2018
“Loxandra”, of Akis Dimou, based on the novel of Maria Iordanidou, 2019.
Directed work for children and youth theatre with own theatre company
“The forgotten toys of Christmas”, of Zoe Scalidi and Foteini Tsambra, 2015
“Irene” of Aristophanes, 2016
“The Christmas Carol”, Charles Dickens, 2016
“The Gap”, of Τhomas Menexes, 2017,
“The living PC”, of Τhomas Menexes, 2018
“The Magical Pillows” , of Eugene Trivizas, 2018
“L’ Amour Medecine” of Moliere 2019
“The Imaginary Invalid”, of Moliere, 2020
Music
2016-Presnt: Vocalist of the music group "Decauville Band". In June 2017 they released their first album White Dream Journey, in which, apart from the vocals, she participated in the writing of lyrics and music, while she edited, also, the cover-layout of the CD. She illustrated, also, the cover: White Dream Journey: The Book .
In 2018, collaborating with the musician Argyris Lazou, created the Decauville Band Ancient Greek Music: The Jazz Trilogy Project, which consist a dialogue between painting and music about the matter of existence.
Illustration of the covers of Music Books
-Jazz/RockPiano Learning Paths For Improvisation: 50+2 Exercises for the Beginner to Advanced Jazz/Rock Pianist Paperback – January 18, 2018
-Jazz/Rock Piano Learning Paths For Improvisation Volume II: 30 +2 Exercises for the Intermediate to Professional Jazz/Rock Pianist. Paperback – September 21, 2018
-Jazz Learning Paths For Improvisation: 30 Exercises for the Beginner to Advanced Jazz Player/For Tenor Saxophone, Trumpet & all B-Flat Instruments Paperback – October 8, 2018
-Jazz Learning Paths For Improvisation: 30 Exercises for the Beginner to Advanced Jazz Player/For Alto Saxophone, E-Flat Trumpet & all E-Flat Instruments Paperback – October 19, 2018
-Jazz Learning Paths For Improvisation Volume II: 30 Complete Lines – Patterns For The Contemporary Jazz Player/For Tenor Saxophone, Trumpet & all B-Flat Instruments Paperback – May 20, 2019
- Jazz Learning Paths For Improvisation Volume II: 30 Complete Lines – Patterns For The Contemporary Jazz Player/For Alto Saxophone, E-Flat Trumpet & all E-Flat Instruments Paperback – May 24, 2019
-First Music Words and Drawings: Learning and Activity book Paperback – January 29, 2019
-Jazz/Rock Guitar Learning Paths For Improvisation: 30 Exercises for the Beginner to Advanced Jazz/Rock Guitarist Paperback – January 16, 2019
-Jazz/Rock Piano Learning Paths For Improvisation Volume III: 50 Complete Lines – Patterns For The Contemporary Jazz/Rock Pianist Paperback – April 18, 2019
Studies and Researches
-"Space and time in theatre and art"
Philosophical and interpretative approach to the conversation between drama and painting.
-"The Theatre in Visual arts",
-"The theatrical element in the artworks of George Rorris",
- "Dialogues, gaps and silences"
Athleticism
She has been occupied with horse riding since 1989. Up to now she is an active rider.
A few words about my artworks
Poetical Realism… This is how I would describe my artworks. The realistic representation of horses, humans and spaces is filtered through my artistic view, aiming at a poetical result.
I experiment with different techniques in watercolor, investigating the expressive values of this medium. Sometimes a simple stroke is the beginning of all. In the same way I work with oils, creating oppositions. Lately, I work with them, trying to produce the qualities of watercolors. On the other hand, I create heavy textures of color by using tulle, in some artworks, which leaves heavy points of color on the surface of the painting, those are capturing light, in the same way that silence captures the traces of truth. And this contrasts with the several layers of lazes that flow, reflecting time.
As a visual artist, I am quite influenced by drama and cinema and therefore, I visualize my paintings from a director’s point of view. For me, my canvas is a theatre scene... I act like a director when it comes to painting and like a visual artist when I direct a theater performance. This world fascinates me, and most of all, the poetical dialog between drama and visual arts. My research on the technique “Portrait within a portrait”, that was very profound in the artworks of my third solo show, “Place and Presence”, searches the traces of connection it has with the drama technique “play within a play”. Here, the viewer stares at the image of the portrait that is portrayed within the portrait, while the model observes the viewer, and, furthermore, the artist, beneath the eyes of the model. The same time, in those eyes, anyone can see himself… That’s why Art is a global and very human language that connects as all and help us realise who we are, in a philosophical and poetical way.
I have also been influenced by the dramatic atmosphere of Giorgio De Chirico, and, regarding the portraiture, I have been inspired by the inner, secret light of Rebrandt, the shivering, lyrical perfection of Johannes Vermeer, the sensitive cruelty of Caravaggio, the poetical storms of Turner and the expressive, raging silence of George Rorris’ portraits.
The values of light in my artworks, act quite dramatically. I would describe its nature as “metaphysic”, that carries a deepest, spiritual meaning. I dip my brushes in my soul and I paint what I see… “Reality”, for me, as I realise it through my senses, only a motive. Its poetical interpretation is what matters… And this is Art for me…
Philosophical and existential, the artworks of Dimitra Xenaki, hold, always a deeper meaning that goes further than what we see… This is what she says about her arworks: “My soul is thirsty for beauty… But in a way that my art translates it into poetry. Not always in an easy way… I would say that my canvases are mirrors reflecting the unknown, that overflows from the crevices on the surface of reality’s face…And this is the setting of my paintings… The spiritual, sharp, fragile, haunted, lyrical beauty… The poetical one...”.
Poetical Realism… This is how I would describe my artworks. The realistic representation of horses, humans and spaces is filtered through my artistic view, aiming at a poetical result. Furthermore, they act as symbols, as my artworks seek their roots in psychanalysis, in philosophy and in all those questions those concern the human existence. I believe that Art should reflect a piece of the creator’s soul, and this is what gives its meaning. Should be experiential.
On the other hand, as a visual artist, I have been influenced by my background as a drama teacher and director, as the technique “portrait within a portrait” , that can be seen in many of my artworks, acts in the same way with the drama technique “play within a play”.
I believe that what our perception about this world form our “reality”. If we could change this perception, we could be changed, too, and , also the whole world around us could look different And that truth has played a very important role in my creation. That’s why, shadows appear too often in my artworks and they play a very significant role in them. They act as a symbol of our limiting beliefs, our fears, our illusions , as a symbol of the dark side of our soul, of the subconscious mind. And subconscious mind forms the conscious one, through the energy of our thoughts those are hidden in there.
Furthermore, horses are symbols of strength, power and courage, although many people are afraid of them, because of their big size, and so do I, even they have been the greatest love of my life. And that opposition was something I was trying to explain for years, but when I achieved to do, it was like an Apocalypses for me, that changed my life. Forever. It was one single sentence that opened up my mind and made me discover what I was trying to find all those years: “Horses are our mirrors” yelled my horse riding instructor to me when I was feeling stressed on the horse. “You should work on the connection you have with your horse, but you have firstly work on the connection you have with yourself”. And that was it. I realized that it was not the horse that I was afraid of… It was my inner self… My traumas, my psychological issues, my limiting believes , my subconscious mind. And all those believes, I used to hold about myself, where reflecting on the way I used to face “reality”. Where reflecting on the way I used to draw, I used to think, I used to act and react. I grow up as an child, having suffered emotional and psychological abuse by my narcissistic mother and then I suffered physical abuse by my ex-partner, and it took me many years to understand what was going wrong with me. My passion for horses and painting showed me the way, so for me, “Aeolus” is an emblematic artwork that reflects my struggle to survive emotionally and mentally and pass this dark river through the other side. And I did it. It takes years to recover from any kind of abuse and you should work on it again and again but so far I feel like I am enjoying the sunshine on the balcony of a Sanatorium, metaphorically speaking.” In this life we come to struggle and get on another lever of consciousness. We do not come to find hapiness” said Eckhard Tolle and maybe he is right.
So, all this made me try to find new ways of expression as the old ones did not serve me anymore. The whole world changed, as I changed, so I had to explore those new geographies through my brushes.I tried to use oil colors as watecolors, so as to express the flow of life and the way we perceive reality. Nothing is solid and firm… We can shape our believes and this can shape the reality around us. It is not easy. The brain tends to resist when we try to release a limiting belief, as the way we think is quite addictive. One negative thought attracts many more and we may feel secure, although miserable in all that situation, so we tend to retain in. Because out of it is the unknown and we are all scared about it. We tend to remain in the shadow because this is how we have learned to live up to now. But there is the Light outside… And it is bright… And we all worth it