You can rest your eyes and welcome the presence of your comforted soul when you come across one of Alexia Spanoudaki’s works of art. Canvases of colour, with nuanced flickers of shades that remind you of the beauty of nature and especially seascapes, the sky, and even life itself - linear, but abstract, bathed in colours yet direct in its impact and not gratuitously so. Her architectural background has strongly directed her personal perspective and style, and beyond painting she is also an illustrator.
How would you describe your art?
I would call it "colour abstract with a hint". Colour is not only dominant in my art but is also my driving force. My art depictions may be abstract and minimalistic but still hinting a theme - most frequently within distant seascapes. My forms are quite linear and structured. They develop in horizontal zones, as this gives me a sense of balance and settling - drifting and unsettling comes from hinting.
How and when did you choose to make a transition from architecture to art?
There was never such a transition as I deviated professionally from architecture quite early (I work in the real estate business). But I feel that my architectural background is quite evident, deeply embedded in my art and eventually integral to my artistic identity.
What are the themes / images / feelings / ideas that you are most drawn to paint?
My themes mainly derive from the Aegean Sea. I am drawn by the simplicity of the Cycladic horizons and the way they glow under sunlight. The feeling I want to convey is one of peace and harmony coming out of the simplicity and the absence of frill.
What is your life's philosophy in a nutshell?
Consistency with myself and with those around me. I understand consistency not as rigidity, but as openness without an “anything goes” attitude.
What area of Greece are you from?
I was born and raised in Athens. I still live in Athens with my family. I usually paint at home but during summer I try to paint a lot by the sea.
What are you working on right now and when is your next exhibition?
I am working on an upcoming exhibition that will take place in Athens in mid 2018. It will be running parallel to a mosaic art exhibition of another artist. I am looking forward to this collaboration as we share mutual thematic incentives and warm friendship.
How does being a painter colour your daily life?
Painting is fulfilling. It is about coming back to myself, which then collapses into an openness towards others. A colourful passage beyond introvert and extravert.
Do you feel artists are encouraged to flourish in Greece today?
Nowadays, there is a general discouraging ambience in Greece. It has always been very difficult for artists to live only on art, especially so within such an adverse socio-economic milieu. But it seems to me that art is inversely correlated with economic conditions: in times of abundance it deconstructs, in times of despair it constructs. Art comes from within and Greece can be an ideal place for such inspiration -with its paradoxical blend of Western and Eastern culture, its natural diversity and of course, its overwhelming open skies and sunlights.
