Ioli Xifara

Xifara Ioli
© Alkis Plithas

Born in Athens, she attended the Drawing prepapatory school of Vrassidas Vlachopoulos, Tassos Rigas and Nikos Stefos, where she was taught Byzantine painting techniques by Dimitris Fotou and Kostas Argyris. She studied Painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1989-1994) under Chronis Botsoglou and Dimitris Mytaras. During 1992-1993 she studied the technique of Fresco Painting at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Besides her formal studies, she was also an apprentice of Alecos Fassianos for many years. Her works can be found in private collections. She lives and works in Athens.

Works

Solo Exhibitions

2021

Red or Dead 212 Arts Pireaus

2018

From the Light Stavrakas Mansion, The Patmos Trust Patmos

2017

Big Post-it Art Platon Athens (curated by Kirios Criton)

2016

Music Europe Music Library “Lilian Voudouri” Athens

2016

Gardens in Between Yannis and Eleni Vattis Art Gallery Ermoupolis, Syros

2013

S.A. Art Gallery Kea

2008

Beyond Art Gallery Athens

2005

Iris Art Gallery Athens

2004

Mommy’s Bar Athens

2001

Metamorfosis Gallery Athens

2000

Hydrotechnon Gallery Mykonos

1997

Adam Gallery Athens

1995

Ekfrasi – Yianna Grammatopoulou Gallery Glyfada

Press

Painting Gladdens the Hearts of Humans

Ioli Xifara paints gardens. Gardens that are full of animals, people, plants, birds. Everything lives together in this colourful pandaesia. Xifara possesses an ability to use colour, an essence for colour, which puts a spell on you; for colour in Painting is primordial. It is something necessary for the viewer to take pleasure in what he sees.

When you have a painting hanging in your home, it is like a window that allows you to see something. It allows you to see gardens, to see things happening, things that the artist has created in his own manner. And you must have your own manner of expression. If you do so, then you have discovered Painting.

In the art of Painting, what matters is the manner you use to tell the truth. In the same way we take pleasure in an actor, because of the way he utters his lines, the way he enacts his role. Painting gladdens the hearts of humans.

 

Alecos Fassianos
* From the catalogue of Ioli Xifara’s exhibition “Gardens in Between”, Yannis and Eleni Vattis Art Gallery, Syros, 2016.