Kingfishers with glorious colors
my distant ancestors
a flock with exiled wings
by the unknown galaxy
They culminated in the great darkness
years and years of light
keeping the seed of creation
tightly in the beak
and I come today
with blood and light to talk to you
with the few crumbs of the miracles
deadly I throw the arch towards your heart
I come today to paint
a fantastic bird in your forehead.
Tolis Nikiforou “undetermined flying object”
from the poetry collection “The magic carpet”
I remember that I have been painting since I learned to walk, everywhere, as the painting was like my second nature and a need of a special importance, as it happens with the majority of the children. I just did not stop painting, but since then I continue, as the need for creation and expression of a parallel magic reality, still remains vivid like an inner flame. Painting is for me a pathway of healing. I paint what flows from the Source, from where come all the dreams. It is also like the prayer or like the meditation. When I am in front of the canvas, wood or paper, I merge with the colors on the white surface and become one with the unknown. And perhaps the art is a prayer. I love painting as I love the stories and fairy tales. In both arts I feel that I communicate with the Dream. It is our destiny to dream and perhaps because of the fact that the dreams are translated through words and images, become fairy tales and paintings that nourish our soul. The artist as I think, nowadays, more than ever, should be a fighter of Light, a guardian of Dream, a dispatcher of the Impossible and should fulfill his or her mission beneath the waves.
Zoe Nikitaki
STUDIES
I studied classical philology at the Philosophical Faculty of Athens University and I also studied with the painter – printmaker Mahi Dimopoulou and in the workshop of the artist Tassos Rigas I studied design of the naked model. I attended seminars related to the psychology, philosophy, and artistic themes, such as costume design, manufacturing dolls, etc. I am mainly a self-taught artist.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS PAINTING
2002 Tree Festival, Fort Cochin, N. India (artists meeting in a festival aimed at self-organization and environmental awareness)
2003 Greek Center of Culture and Art, Koropi (first meeting of artists from Mesogeia and Lavrion)
2003 Exhibition Space Art Old Metal, Municipality of Lavrion
2003 Farmhouse Nikolosofo, Daskalio Keratea
2009 “Do the duck… you can” Black Duck Multiplarte, Athens
2009 “25 Golden Wishes” artistic direction: Michael Romanos, Gallery Greek-French Association, Athens
2010 “Art Events”, Athens Fine Arts Festival, artistic direction Michael Romanos, Showroom Cultural Centre of Palaio Faliro, “Flisvos”
2010 Industrial Museum of Syros, Visual Festival “You walk at the opposite side” organized by the Space of Arts, Ash in Art,
2010 Artspace “Thalassinos Multicenter” Kos, Visual Festival “You walk at the opposite side” organized by the Space of Arts, Ash in Art,
2011 Museum of Bath House of the Winds, Plaka, “Spring Bazaar” (30 young artists come together and celebrate the spring through the art)
2014 International Water Wheel Symposium, Technohoros Gallery. I participated in the Greek node that had been organized by the artist Kety Chaliori, founder and creator of the Water World Museum. My project was “The Water Oracle of Amorgos”.
2015 Club Unesco of Piraeus and Islands, “Tribute to the culture of Zakynthos”
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012, Museum of Bath House of the Winds, Illustration of the book: “Folk Tales of Zakynthos”
WORKS AS AN ILLUSTRATOR
I have worked with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, the Museum of Greek Folk Art, the Actionaid Hellas, the newspaper Kathimerini, the Cultural Organization of the Municipality of Athens, the Hellenic Association of Families for Mental Health, etc.
BOOKS ILLUSTRATION
2002 “The Fairytales travel,” published by the Actionaid Hellas and the Ministry of Education of Greece as part of the educational program: “Children of the World – Citizens of the world” (distributed to primary schools in Greece and Cyprus).
2012 “Folk Tales of Zakynthos” Trimorfo Publications
2015 “Tales of our hearts for the truth”, Akritas publications
The publication of my new book “The tale of pomegranate” is still in progress