10 Questions with Mary Stefanou

Mary Stefanou was born in 1981, with English and Greek nationality. Her interaction with different kinds of art forms started at a very early age. She has studied Tourism management, Culinary arts, Vocal training, Music harmony, and Fine arts at the art school of Spanish artist Sandra Pons Carreras, along with seminars and workshops at Borgias college of fine art and design.

Stefanou has exhibited her works and presented art performances in a variety of galleries, art fairs, cultural and art centers, festivals, art projects, video art, and live music stages. She has been a finalist in International art competitions, and she is in collaboration with galleries, art spaces, architectural and interior design studios in Greece and abroad. In addition, she is a co-founder at Domatio, an artist-led art space in Athens, Greece. Domatio creates exhibitions, events, projects aiming to bring artists together and to promote creative cultural endeavors. In Florida, USA, she is represented exclusively by Design Art Concepts. Through its active program, Design Art Concepts provides a modern, efficient platform whereby emerging and established artists and designers can express and exhibit their work to a wide, qualified audience of collectors and institutions.

@marystefanouart

Mary Stefanou Portrait | Photo credit: Chris Zinas

ARTIST STATEMENT

"Painting… My way of expressing myself and communicating. As I "play" with colours and experiment, genre, form, and technique are constantly transformed and ceaselessly reborn.

Painting mostly with my hands and my body, I create my natural extensions in direct contact with the colours and the canvas. Then, to the sound of inspiring music and my inner voice, through the flow and improvisation, come the moments of creation. Moments of ecstasy and release." - Mary Stefanou

Connected Souls, Acrylic, dry pigment, ink and epoxy resin on canvas, 140x240 cm (diptych), 2020 © Mary Stefanou - photo credit Chris Zinas

INTERVIEW

Could you tell us a little more about your background and how did you begin making art?

I am of Greek and British heritage, and my interaction with different kinds of artforms started at a very young age. I believe the idea I had in my mind, namely that although people may not speak the same language they can communicate through art, is something that has always influenced me. I am grateful to think that all the "dreams" I had as a child became the reality of me as an adult. I originally studied Tourism Management and Culinary Arts and then moved on to study music Harmony and Vocal training.

Along with Fine Art at the Art School of Spanish artist Sandra Pons Carreras in Athens, Greece and I also attended seminars and workshops at Borgias College of Fine Art and Design (Athens, Greece). My studies were completed in 2015, while at the same time, I worked in all of the fields above. Also, dance is part of the picture but on an amateur level. 2017 is when I started finding my own voice and expression in painting and in the form of live painting performances. That is when I started sharing my work with an audience. It was then that things took off rather rapidly. Everything fell into place and took its course. That brought me great happiness.

What do you wish you knew about contemporary art before you got started?

I can't imagine myself not painting. It is what I breathe. It gives me life. There isn't anything that would stop me from being part of this world of contemporary art. So there isn't a fact that I would say I wish I had known before and that it might have made me think twice about whether I want to continue in the field of contemporary art. So I take it in with all the positives and the negatives, and I try, every day, to create the reality I dream of.

Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to?

One of the main aspects is that of improvisation. There is no preconception of what will be expressed on the canvas. When inspiration comes, it is like a force, and at that moment, I have to express it. I have to paint. It sometimes appears as a vision, as when you are half asleep, half awake, a sensation of colors. So I am more in a feeling of colors and texture in the moment of creation, and the outcome is left to spontaneity, to the flow of the moment, and to the sound of my inner voice. I mostly paint with my hands and my body in direct contact with the canvas and the colors. Dance and music are also part of the process. Emotions are expressed through movement, colors, gestures, and texture.

You use a unique blend of techniques; how did you come up with this way of creating your works?

I am constantly experimenting and trying new things. The process is ongoing, and its magic is that you can express yourself in different ways. I love to see how different media interact with each other, and most of the time, I don't use the media or "tools" conventionally. Thus, it brings something new to me and to the audience.

What is the most challenging part of your work? And where do you find inspiration?

I love challenges. Painting challenges me to keep true to myself, express my truth and not what others expect of me, and it contributes to me evolving on many levels. These are crucial challenges but also invaluable to me.
Music, meditation, and nature are inspirations. It is what "fires me up" inside and urges me to create.

Seize the day, Acrylic, dry pigment, ink and epoxy resin on canvas, 140x140 cm, 2020 © Mary Stefanou - photo credit Chris Zinas

Heart, Acrylic, dry pigment, dry pastel, ink and epoxy resin on canvas, 120x120 cm, 2020 © Mary Stefanou - photo credit Chris Zinas

What is your favorite experience as an artist so far?

I have had many exciting experiences for me personally as an artist, so far, but I will name two for now.
First of all, the representation by Design Art Concepts in Miami, Florida, USA that started in 2019. This gave me and my artworks the chance to travel to Miami during Art Basel Miami week 2019. I took part in art shows and art fairs there. Visiting all the shows and the buzz of the city at that time was a true inspiration.
And the, the live painting performance I presented in one of the most famous live scenes in Athens Greece, accompanied by a live band in 2019. The feeling was ecstatic, and I can't wait to live it again.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

I have just completed my solo exhibition 'Where the Darkness meets the Light' at Art Appel Gallery in Athens, Greece, June-July 2021. A collaboration that I am very excited about. And now I am taking part in their group exhibition 'Abstr-Act' July - August 2021, along with eight abstract artists presenting large-scale artworks.
I will be taking part in a group exhibition, 'Shift Positions' by Design Art Concepts, in Miami, Florida. And we are preparing for art shows during Art Basel Miami week 2021.
I am also a co-founder at Domatio art space in Athens, Greece. An artist-run space. My role is mostly to curate shows and present works of other artists, which I find really interesting and exciting. And at the moment, I am discussing with artists abroad to present their work at Domatio.
I have really missed painting live accompanied by live music. Unfortunately, at the moment it is not allowed in my country due to covid. So I am looking forward to planning live performances again.

We all miss a lot of things from our lives pre-Covid. But is there one thing that you have discovered over the last year that you will keep with you in the future?

I feel that difficulties come into life to remind us of what is important. We live at such a fast pace that it can blind our vision. And we need reminders to restart, reprogram and evaluate situations and life. It reminded me that the moment that matters is the present, so let's make the best of it. This is what I will keep with me.

Where the darkness meets the light, Acrylic, dry pastel and epoxy resin on canvas, 120x100 cm, 2020 © Mary Stefanou - photo credit Chris Zinas

What do you think of NFTs? Are these something you wish to experiment? And is there anything new you would like to introduce in your artistic practice?

At the moment, they aren't something I feel like experimenting with, but that doesn't mean that I won't in the future. Every day is a new day.
I always like to introduce new things into my practice , but it comes with spontaneity, so I cannot express something specific at the moment.
I would like to refer to art objects I created recently and which I will start promoting now.
I am intrigued not only by the painting (artwork) as a whole but also by the tiny elements that compose a painting: those details of different particles that have a story of their own to tell but also interact and interplay with each other, themselves creating a painting within the painting. As I find myself enthralled by this microcosm, I create Limited edition prints of detailed shots of my artworks on small or large plexiglass. I also find it an interesting way of presenting and incorporating art into spaces.

Finally, share something you would like the world to know about you?

Through a life experience that brought me close to death, I realized how much I wanted to live.
Life for me is colors and movement. It's about constantly evolving and seeking to better yourself. But at the same time feeling complete in what you are, what you have, and being grateful for it - being true to yourself and finding your unique way of sharing it with others, finding your passion and expressing it, appreciating the gift of life, accepting and embracing the light and the darkness.
Painting brings me to my here and now. There is no yesterday. There is no tomorrow. It's just me and my canvas - in my truth, in my passion.
When I paint, I am more myself than ever. Every time I look at my paintings, I connect to myself more and more. They remind me to feel. They remind me of my journey, of my life experiences, my setting myself free, and of who I am today.
When people stand in front of my paintings, I wish that they are a reminder of being present, saying thank you to life, and celebrating life.

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