The Sculptress: Pavlina Pavlidou

Shining the light on important female Cypriot artists is the second of a three-part trilogy exhibition. The Sculptress: Pavlina Pavlidou is presented at Garage Art Space in Nicosia this month by the Lefteris Economou Cultural Foundation and is part two of the Women Artists of the 1^st, 2nd and 3rd generation of Cypriot Artists project, featuring local creatives born in 1910, 1920 and 1930. The trilogy began with the exhibition Loukia Nikolaidou: narratives and from Friday the spotlight turns to Pavlidou.

The research-based exhibition The Sculptress: Pavlina Pavlidou (1924-1990), which initially sought to trace the artist’s sculptures, deals with her work. Subsequently, the exhibition attempts a comprehensive presentation of her work following the sparse references to her and her practice in Cyprus, as she settled and worked abroad from an early age. Therefore, the entirety of her work remains unseen and unknown to the Cypriot audience.

A selection of her sculptures, drawings, audio-visual and archival material drawn from state archives in Cyprus and especially from her family’s rich archive abroad are presented in the exhibition until June 11. Pavlidou worked mainly in bronze, including an array of other materials. The absence of a theme in her work beyond the human figure —which she approached with geometry and extreme sensitivity— is a notable element.

A parallel event will take place during the exhibition as SESON Gynekes study and approach the material to which they are given access, and in collaboration with an actress create a theatrical response structured upon the need to come closer to the story of Pavlidou. Performance dates are expected to be shared soon on the socials of Garage Art Space. In all, the exhibition is the first curated presentation of Pavlidou’s work in Cyprus and seeks to present, even 32 years after her death, her work which is deemed important and timeless.

The Sculptress: Pavlina Pavlidou

Exhibition presenting the artist’s work. By Lefteris Economou Cultural Foundation. Garage Art Space, Nicosia. May 20-June 11. Opening night: 7.30pm. Tuesday – Saturday: 5pm-8pm. Tel: 22-001508