Cyprus mourns death of artist Eleni Nikodimou

The deputy ministry of culture expressed “deep sadness” for the passing of distinguished visual artist Eleni Nikodimou.

The Cypriot artist died on Saturday at the age of 68.

She “leaves us her Art, a poignant gesture of her laborious handwork, a gesture that will forever transmit the unquenchable love of her creation for life,” the Deputy Ministry of Culture stressed.

The School of Fine and Applied Arts of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) also expressed its deep sorrow for the loss of the artist on Sunday, describing Nikodimou as a prominent representative of the post-war visual arts scene in Cyprus.

“Fearless, incurably sincere, with integrity, generous with young people, Eleni captivated her interlocutor with her drive, sentimentality and wit,” the university said.

Nikodimou was born in 1955 in Alona. After completing her secondary education at the Pan-Cyprian Gymnasium of Female Education in Pallouriotissa, Nicosia, she attended the Higher School of Economics and Commercial Sciences, now known as Athens University of Economics and Business, from 1973 to 1977. A year later, in 1978, she enrolled at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where she graduated in 1983 with a focus on painting and engraving.

She worked at the Cité Internationale des Arts from 1981 to 1984, and she was a scholar of the French Government (1981-1983 and 1987-1988), the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture (1980), and the Levendis Foundation (1985-1986). In 1986, she won the first prize in the Matisse competition, organised by the French Embassy in Cyprus.

She presented her work in numerous solo exhibitions in Paris, Athens, Nicosia, Lisbon, as well as in international events, such as the 16th and 17th Biennial of Graphic Arts in Ljubljana in 1985 and 1988, the 2nd Biennial of Young Artists of Europe and the Mediterranean in Thessaloniki in 1986, and the 8th Biennial of Graphic Arts in Norway in 1986.

Nikodimou was also a distinguished athlete in middle-distance running and cross-country. She began participating in races at the age of 14 while still a student.

“A characteristic of her passion and determination is the fact that she competed not only in her own age category but also in the categories of juniors and women, even managing to surpass older athletes,” the deputy culture ministry stated. Alongside her studies in Athens, she trained under the internationally renowned Hungarian coach Miklós Igloi, and she was a member of both the Greek and Cypriot national athletics teams.

Above all, Eleni Nikodimou was a great visual artist, the Deputy Ministry’s announcement highlights.

“Behind her abstract works lies a complex, sensitive, yet dynamic inner world. Even when living in a small apartment in Paris, she painted large monumental canvases. With great skill, she worked with multi-layered ‘materials,’ about which she always spoke with great pride, and she embroidered details with thread,” it is added.

She was also described as a “perfectionist” and devoted much time and effort to each work until she decided it was complete.

Each exhibition reflected her concerns and dreams, as well as memories and experiences from her life in Alona. Through her exhibition “Document” in 2012, she had the courage to protest the political and economic situation of our country, the statement added.

In recent years, she turned to writing and managed, despite serious health problems, to complete her book Taxidi stin Vrohi, which translates in English as Journey in the Rain. It is autobiographical and refers to her life in Alona, her student years in Athens, the Polytechnic uprising, the invasion, and her studies in Paris.

The Deputy Ministry of Culture extended its deepest condolences to her spouse, Raphael Ryx, and to her entire family.