Painting exhibition by Sotiris Ioannou

Sotiris Ioannou presents his new work in his solo exhibition of paintings at Gallery Kypriaki Gonia from 28 March until 18 April 2018. Opening by Mrs Skevi Koukouma, Member of the Parliament on Wednesday 28 March, 7.30 p.m.

Nature and man, man in nature is the theme Sotiris Ioannou has used as his inspiration in this current series of canvasses. Natures’ blunt and at times harsh beauty, its organic and geometric forms, and the subtle physical strength of the environment have been used to portray the artists’ personal impression of how nature, at times, reflects human emotions and philosophies. Sotiris not only uses natures’ accidental landscaping in an allegoric manner, he exploits natures geometric and organic forms, supplemented and enhanced by the use of vibrant base colours to illustrate how nature at times encapsulates human emotions, such as loneliness, division, solitude etc. and, the futility of these emotions is reflected in their subsequent consequences and effect on the natural order by these ephemeral and at times negative emotions. He also attempts to illustrate how nature can be a harmonious and positive antidote to perceived personal or wider injustices.

Sotiris Ioannou was born in Dherynia in Cyprus in 1952. In the late fifties he migrated with his family to England. During his Secondary school years he was awarded a number of prizes for his art work by the local municipal council.

On leaving school in 1972 he attended The Camberwell School of Art & Crafts in London to study Ceramics.He attended Camberwell between 1972 / 1976 where he attained a 2/2 in Three Dimensional Design (Ceramics). After graduation he set up a pottery studio with other potters in South London where he continued to work, using, as his inspiration, pre-classical Cypriot pottery, which continues to influence him.

During the early years he found that his work, influenced by pre-classical Cypriot as well as primitive Middle and near East pottery was restrictive and would not allow him to fully express himself. He tried experimenting with other mediums such as Perspex and glass, but found they were in many ways as restrictive as clay due to their solid state. He found that by using solid mediums as the ‘canvas’ it was not always possible to show how colour shapes the environment in the way that paint does, as these mediums were too solid as base materials. They did not have the fluidity of paint. They would not or could not allow the liquidity of movement in the same way that paint can and does. He found that his interest in colour and the shape that colour has on the environment, plus the restrictive nature of clay and other solids meant he was beginning to use paint more and more as a means of expression more so than the use of other mediums.

Sotiris gradually went away from ceramics as a medium of expression and began exclusively using paint to create his work During the 1970s’ and 1980s’ he had a number of exhibitions in London and the midlands, exhibiting both ceramic works and paintings.He also has some of his work in permanent private exhibitions of modern art in England.

During the late 1980s’ he gradually stopped showing his work in public exhibitions and only worked on private commissions due to his increasing commitments in teaching art and the growth of his Interior Design busyness’ the mid-2000s’ he decided to come back to Cyprus, to return to his roots. Since his return he has opened a private school, where he teaches art, and has also been painting full time.

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday: 10:00 - 13:00 & 16:30 - 19:30
Saturday: 10:00 - 13:00