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Ioanna Kythreotou was born in Larnaca in 1984. She studied in the UK and returned to Cyprus with a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts from the University of Sunderland and a Masters degree in Painting from the University of Wolverhampton. She lives in Larnaca where she works as an art teacher at the American Academy Larnaca. She has presented her work in various exhibitions in Cyprus, New York and Dubai.
September 2005
- Ma (Hons) Art and Design (Painting),University of Wolverhampton , Wolverhampton, UK
June 2004
- Ba (Hons) Fine Art, University of Sunderland , Sunderland, UK
Solo Exhibitions:
May 2022
- “SUITCASES”, The O Gallery, Larnaca, Cyprus
May 2021
- “SUPERBLOOM“ (Solo exhibition), Alpha C.K. Art Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus
February 2016
- “Tales of dystopian grandeur“, Apocalypse Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus
Group Exhibitions:
December 2022
- “Winter Group Exhibition”, The O Gallery, Larnaca, Cyprus
October 2018
- “The Lefkosia Art Show”, Alpha CK Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus
- “Larnaca Biennale”, Myth Factory – Larnaca Biennale, Larnaca, Cyprus
June 2017
- “Sender – Recipient”, Consulate General of Cyprus, NY, Manhattan, USA
April 2017
- “World Art Dubai 2017″ , World Art Dubai, Dubai, UAE
May 2016
- “Ancient Kition and the Modern World of Larnaca”, Visitors Centre of the Archaeological Site of Kition, Larnaca, Cyprus
November 2014
- “EKATE (50 Year Anniversary)”, Famagusta Gate, Nicosia, Cyprus
May 2014
- “Change and Exchange”, Omicron Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus
October 2013
- “Not a day without a line“ Exhibition, Larnaca Municipal Gallery, Larnaca, Cyprus
November 2012
- “Witnesses 2“ Exhibition, Peter’s Gallery, Limassol, Cyprus
June 2012
- “Project Art: Larnaca – Europe 2012 “ Exhibition, Larnaca Municipal Gallery, Larnaca, Cyprus
February 2012
- “Witnesses “ Exhibition, Kypriaki Gonia Gallery, Larnaca, Cyprus
March 2008
- Ready Images Exhibition, Heliotropion Gallery, Larnaca, Cyprus
PREFACE
As contemporary lifestyle revolves around a visually saturated environment, the viewer is usually transformed into a pawn, drawn within the ‘battle’ of visual indulgence. The intricate paintings of Ioanna Kythreotou subvert the power dynamic between audience and image, by repurposing current aspects of visual culture, to create painterly narratives that can transfer the viewer into an idealistic world. In contrast with the ephemeral nature of visual culture to- day, viewers in this context possess the space and time to reflect upon the imagery in Kythreotou’s paintings, which partly appears drawn from travel agencies’ advertisements, offering an escape to magical destinations around the world.
By combining natural and architectural elements, and excluding human presence in both instances, the artist creates distant locations, that appear as serene scenes of escape. As geometry and uniformity intertwine with abstraction, through the intricate layers of the painting, one starts to interrogate the subsistence of these sceneries. Kythreotou’s paintings tempt the viewer to- wards a visual narrative which promises an alternative reality, away from the chaotic scenery of the everyday, through a carefully constructed aesthetic quality that appears to be consuming the viewer’s attention. As the audience begins to get carried away within this indulgence, the panels of vivid and soft colours disrupting the image appear to be giving something away, leaving the audience to answer the critical question: are these places real or just a con- struct of imagination, rooted in the longing for escape?
Despina Petridou Artist/Curator
ARTIST EXHIBITION DATES
