10 Questions with Sotiria Bramou

Sotiria Bramou works as a Visual Designer in the city of Athens. She moves and experiments by blurring the lines between visual & wearable art. She has graduated from Vakalo Art & Design College with a Bachelor's degree in Art & Design, a Master's degree in Visual Communication, and in 2019 from Contemporary Jewelry Studio "Anamma".

Sotiria's work deconstructs the dominant social stereotypes and expresses her own values as a worker, as a female, as a designer. She gets inspired by the "abnormal", the "dirty", the "freak", the "obscene", communicating through her work a visual and emotional experience. She has participated in contemporary art exhibitions in Greece and abroad.

Interested in art's militant potential, she is motivated by what society deems unacceptable.

@sotibramou

ARTIST STATEMENT

In periods of crisis, a deterioration of social awareness and growth of social discrimination internally in a country can be keenly observed. This results in the creation of binary contradictions, where on the one side there is the dominant, the normal, the orderly, the usual, and acceptable. On the other side, there is the partial, the different, the abnormal and ordinary, the "exotic", the foreign and extreme.

As a designer, Sotiria gets inspired by the minorities and vulnerable groups, regardless of religion, nationality, gender, or age, who need support, not only to deal with discrimination, racism, and all forms of violence directed at them, but also to heal their wounds, claim their inalienable rights, and move forward with a creative remodeling of their lives. The reasons that cause diversity are related to the same person and the social environment they belong to.

The body is shaped, transformed, deformed into something else, irregular, uneven, and magical. Sometimes through surrealism, sometimes through macabre, it's where the reality meets the fairy tale.

DESERT WOMB, Bodypiece, mixed media, 70x90x40 cm, 2020 © Sotiria Bramou

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. What are your history and your artistic background?

My name is Sotiria Bramou Ι come from Greece, and I have been working for several years as a Visual Designer in the city of Athens. I graduated in 2011 from Vakalo Art & Design College with a Bachelor's degree in Art & Design specialized in Graphic Design, got a Master's degree in 2017 in Visual Communication, and in 2019 I finished my art studies from a Contemporary Jewelry Studio' Anamma'. All these kinds of studies in arts & design helped me build my own point of view and perspective on what I want to communicate through my work. Last years, I experimented with visual and wearable art, combining elements that express my own values as a worker, as a female, as a designer. I am interested in art's militant potential and do not accept the title "artist". I treat myself as a worker in arts and not as an artist.

In your statement, you say you “move and experiment by blurring the lines between visual & wearable art.” How do you mix these two fields?

My studies in Graphic Design & Visual Communication and at the same time in Contemporary Art Jewelry give me the knowledge to experiment with this combination. Through my work, I don't care about creating something beautiful and attractive. I believe the most important thing in visual arts is to be able to communicate your message. The message needs to be direct, clear with dynamics, and accessible to all. I am particularly fascinated to see my work communicated to the public through my own visual tools every time I use them. I am interested in the deconstruction of dominant stereotypes and the role of body-bodies as socially constructed.

TIMEONBODY, Bodypiece, wick & wax, 40x70x30 cm, 2014 © Sotiria Bramou

A huge focus in your work is minorities and vulnerable groups, as well as diversity in general. What do you hope that the public takes away from your work?

As a designer, I get inspired by the minorities and vulnerable groups, regardless of religion, nationality, gender, or age, who need support, not only to deal with discrimination, racism, and all forms of violence directed at them but also to heal their wounds, claim their inalienable rights, and move forward with a creative remodeling of their lives. The reasons that cause diversity are related to the same person and the social environment they belong to. My goal is for the audience to identify with the characters of the portraits I create.

And how do you approach and incorporate these themes in your production?

I initially conduct my research on the themes that I want to create, which helps me perceive and organize them in the best way, and according to my own and the aesthetic of the final result I want to present.

Where do you find inspiration for your works?

In capitalism and mostly in periods of crisis, a deterioration of the social controversies and growth of social discriminations internally in a country can be keenly observed. This results in the creation of binary contradictions. There is the dominant, the normal, the elderly, the usual and acceptable on the one side. On the other side, there is the partial, the different, the abnormal and ordinary, the foreign and freak. A dipole that socially defines what is acceptable and marginal.

And how did you evolve this way of working?

I get interested in approaching the persons and their experiences, their stories, and their pains. The past they hide and the secrets they have. It fascinates me to build relationships through this process with many and different people. I need to express and visualize that the margin is socially constructed. I create weird creatures which stand and look strong and proud. As for the form, they confuse and combine human categories and the distinction between human and animal. They are 'ugly' creatures and have obnoxious personal habits; they are neither women nor men.

Over the past year, we have witnessed a lot of changes in the art world and our lives in general. What is one thing that you miss about your life pre-Covid, career, and art-wise?

Regarding the Covid, I would like to say that everything is possible in capitalism, after all, to function smoothly and unfortunately without social explosions. I predict our future to be very difficult for the working class. I do not miss things before Covid. I tried not to lose myself and have the everyday day I had also before. Of course, I was lucky and not alone in that.

NO MILK, Bodypiece, synthetic hair & fabric, 70x45x5cm, 2021 © Sotiria Bramou

HOTOLDBABY, mask, 35x20x10 cm, 2018 © Sotiria Bramou

And what is one new thing that over the past year you have discovered? Did you participate in any online exhibition or event?

Not something new but something so important is to have the knowledge and the critical point of view to interpret the sociοpolitical conditions at any given time for what is happening. To have people next to you to fight together in this world, this is the power to be part of a community.
Concerning my work, I participated in a wonderful Online Art Residency Program by PLK Program in Leipzig, Germany. I met very interesting people and artists from all over the world and collaborated with them on many projects. This period we are organizing an exhibition in Leipzig to present our artworks. I also participated in an online exhibition with the title MASK curated by Alice Floriano Gallery based in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

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

During this period, I am organizing my studio in the center of Athens, and I am preparing my next projects. My plans for the future are work. Simple and understandable.

And finally, share something you would like our readers to know about you?

Not really something about me, something about us.

The body is the key figure. The body is mine and yours. It is strong and weak.
The body has no gender and has a name.
The body has a class.
It has blue eyes and dark hair, big pelvis and short legs.
The body is dirty, has hair and skin color. It is slim with stretch marks and is fat.
Sometimes it has no full members and strong muscles.
The body always has power!

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