ZANTE ISLAND ARTS AND CRAFTS
We have included the biographies of two prominent artists in Zante
Zakynthos Greek Islands
at the current time.
ANNA SOPHIA-SOULIS – PAINTER & FILM MAKER
When her father, a Greek Admiral born in Zakynthos, died in 2001,
Anna Soulis began to spend more time in Greece to organize the
legalities of his death. She subsequently moved back to her birthplace
of Athens and has recently completed building a home in Zante, the
foundations of which were laid by her father. Anna now spends much of
her time in Athens and Greece – painting here throughout the summer and
participating in a number of exhibitions.
Recently Anna held an exhibition at the Portokali Restaurant in
Argassi – where art is treasured and decorates the walls. Her paintings
were mainly of flowers, olive groves and other natural inspirations.
Living in the olive groves of Lithakia, just outside Porto Koukla, Anna
is surrounded by inspiration. “My paintings bring out fragments of
stories,” Anna explained. “They mirror my thoughts which result from
time spent in beautiful places, such as Zakynthos.” Flowers, the
coastline and the sky are frequently incorporated into Anna’s work.
Anna has also spent time in Los Angeles, where she started to script
her film, ‘Thea’, based on the Greek Gods, which is now completed, and
has recently been shown at the Cannes Film Festival.
Anna directed her film ‘Thea’ using Greek people as the characters of
the Twelve Greek Gods, represented in her film. “I didn’t mind whether
they were trained actors or not.” she commented. “I met a dentist at a
Noam Chomsky lecture in Athens, who agreed to play the character of
Zeus. The man who played the God Poseidon is a Zakynthian, who spends
most of his time in the summer on the beach where I swim. I also chose
his son to play the character of Dionysus.”
If you would like to view her work during your stay in Zante, you can
contact Anna Soulis by email at
annasoulis@hotmail.com
HANNA MI - ARTIST & SCULPTOR
Ceramic art is one of the oldest traditions - clay for sculpturing
was first used in the Paleolithic culture some 20, 000 years ago, and
the use of clay as a medium for pottery was discovered in 6000 B.C. The
Greek history of ceramics dates back to the year 1000 BC.
Hanne Mi is one of the best ceramic artists on the island – working
from her studio in Vasilikos, in the South of Zakynthos. You can find
her charming studio exhibition on your way to the region of Gerekas –
she is located on the right hand-side of the road a few hundred metres
before the main road down to Gerekas.
She fires her work in a gas kiln, reaching 1260 degrees, making the
ceramics incredibly durable. Her work includes tiles suitable for floors
and walls, sculptures, fountains, pottery mugs, plates and salad bowls.
Hanne Mi is proud to follow the craft of ceramics and to work at a craft
with history and roots. “I feel good working in a profession that is
more than just about making a living,” she explained. “I also do
something that has a cultural purpose, working at a profession that
should not be forgotten.” Hanne Mi feels that her work enables her to
give something back to Zakynthian culture, and also to receive in
return. She gains a feeling of belonging and integration with the
community through her work.
In her work Hanne Mi uses colours in a variety of ways. “I risk not
producing exactly the same safe product again and again. This gets the
creative urge going in me - this feeling of the unexpected.” she
explained. “I am seldom satisfied with a finished piece. This I believe
is necessary. If not, I would be finished as a creator and empty of
ideas. I am always trying to make my work better. It is like a mania.
Always better and a little different. I never say no to a job, even if I
am not sure when I accept the work how I will create it.”
Believing that a wide variety of qualities are required to work as an
ceramics artist, such as fantasy, flexibility, stubbornness, marketing
skills, and patience, Hanne Mi explains “It really is a life style. You
will not succeed if you only look at clay as a job. It has to be
something you enjoy.”
To have a look at her work, please view online at
www.ceramichannemi.com
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