Local glassmaker Yorgos Papadopoulos, who lives in London half the time and spends the other half on our island, is preparing to showcase his latest creations in the exhibition 35oN/33oE Georef, which will open at the Almyra Hotel in Paphos on Saturday.
After working from his studio in London for two decades, last year Papadopoulos decided to live partly in Cyprus, where he could produce large-scale projects. Although he has been away from home for a long time his art is often inspired by the island and almost all of it has Cypriot references. The reference to the island is clear in this exhibition as the title refers to the geographical location of Cyprus.
The geographical points in the title pinpoint a small village in Paphos in a garage of which the artist’s grandfather used to park his bus. Now this garage has been turned into a small gallery.
When working with glass for this project, Papadopoulos did not treat it as a brittle material. Rather he broke it, hit it and threw it on the floor. He treated it with violence to remind us of the Turkish invasion, which he lived through at an early age. Also, the small cracks in the glass remind us of the imperfections of life.
35oN/33oE Georef
Solo exhibition by Yorgos Papadopoulos. March 24 until April 24. Almyra Hotel, Paphos. Tel: 26-888700