Ink drawing & mixed media on  paper, 2021,  42 x 59cm (A2)

In 2021 I did 3 paintings inspired by an antique, finely stitched, embroidered silk cushion cover from my Grandmother’s dowry. The pillow case is one of many items handed down to me by my grandmother Frosso, whose name I also wear with pride. 

I always admired another embroidery she gave me a long time ago. I recall her describing it to me. As a young girl she had proudly stitched her name Efrossini in eloquent font and then designed her own motifs around it in a floral border. This artefact had always drawn more of my attention than the cushion cover. For this reason I’m grateful that I made time to finally pay attention to the delicate silk cushion cover, and its richly embroidered figure and scene. 

It depicts a beautiful young woman collecting water from fresh running water at the mouth of a creek or pouring out of a mountain’s side. The image is idyllic, romantic and drenched with nostalgia .It has optimism and depicts domestic and natural worlds. The universal themes of family, cultural heritage etc, make this both a personal subject and a universal one 

It was a beautiful process to reinterpret the design and create a series of works on paper that permitted me to meditate on femininity, connection to nature and Grecian village themes. Ultimately this speaks volumes of a young girl’s journey to maturity and had me ponder on my dear grandmother’s life journey.

FRESH WATER MAIDEN # 1 has been designed with more considered shapes and forms than the first two expressive versions. It is a mixed media on paper and has been executed with an intention of both, copying and reinterpreting the original embroidery. It is the more expressive of all 3 version i created. There has dynamic movement and strangely, wholly unintended, the trees look to me like Australian gumtrees. 

*Upon request I can help source frames for the artwork 

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Once payment is received, it will be accompanied by a signed certificate of authenticity, and carefully prepared into a sturdy cardboard package and shipped out within 5 business days

Price includes shipment within Australia