Opening soon at the Hambis Municipal Printmaking Museum in old Nicosia is a solo exhibition by artist Frixos Papantoniou. From April 20 to August 5, Papantoniou will present recent work he created using mainly the method of lino print, exploring the technique beyond its traditional means, which is where the exhibition gets its title Printmaking and Beyond. As part of the showcase, an experimental printmaking workshop will also take place this month addressed to art students and artists.

Commenting on the artist’s work, the exhibition organisers say: “Not only does he cut the lino but also uses caustic soda to etch it to create stronger textures. In the process of etching, he uses found materials and objects such as wood, string, masking tape and more. He uses etched and cut plates in combination with painting, watercolours and collages. The plates are repeated several times, overprinted in many directions with varied press pressure to achieve the required tones. With his work, the artist wants to explore people’s relationship with the sky, the sea, the land and most of all with one another.”

Taking the exhibited artwork and his technique a step further, Frixos Papantoniou will offer a free workshop for art students and professional artists on Friday, April 21. During this workshop, Art students from the Fine Art Department of the University of Nicosia together with professional artists will produce works by using the method of linocut. The method will be taken further than just cutting and must be treated as a starting point to create more complex images using colour, stencil and collages and various other elements. Everyday life and art elements that inspire Papantoniou’s work will be incorporated as well.

“Everything around me influences the work that I make,” he says in a statement, “the presence and the environment we experience influences our creative process. Experiences with lighting, colour, smell and sound, evoke different feelings within us and in turn, these sensory experiences invade our creative process, the absence of people, the light, the darkness, the noise, and the music. Music is the most beautiful of art forms. It brings out our emotions from deep inside, makes us happy, makes us sad, and makes us joyful. I am so envious of people who can create music. I think they are the ones who have the best gift from the Gods!

“Although my studies were in sculpture,” he concludes, “Painting, printmaking and ceramics dominated my work and more recently installation is taking me into new ways. With my work, I do not want to instruct the viewers what to think but to allow them to go into their own personal journey with new experiences”.

Printmaking and Beyond

Exhibition by Frixos Papantoniou. April 20-August 5. Hambis Municipal Printmaking Museum, Nicosia. Opening event: 6pm. Tuesday-Friday: 10am-2pm. Saturday: 10am-5pm. Tel: 22-496930

Experimental Printmaking Workshop

April 21. Hambis Municipal Printmaking Museum, Nicosia. 9am-6pm. 12 participants only. Free. Tel: 22-496930