Polyxeni Samanidou
Painter sumi-e
Artist Statement
I have a strong love and respect for Asian culture and in particular for Japanese art and craft. I am drawn to its deep philosophy and simplicity of expression, the respect towards nature, the simple way of depiction, the importance of void and its meaning. I appreciate the close relationship between art and craft and the respect shown to time and the effect it has on matter (wabi-sabi)
Education
She studied biochemistry in Geneva where she worked and lived for 10 years.
Her artistic practice currently encompasses painting on porcelain, ceramics and sumi-e. She has participated in a number of seminars and classes on painting on porcelain, held by expert artists in Geneva, Lausanne, London, Munich and Athens. Having completed a five-year study course at the Center for Contemporary Ceramics in Athens, where she exhibited her work, she continues to work with ceramics and has followed further classes in Athens and London. She took lessons in sculpture with sculptor Dimitris Armakola. For three years she followed classes of Japanese flower arrangement (Ikebana) with the master of the O’ Hara school Haroula Papadopoulou. While living in London in the 1980s she first encountered and begun studying sumi-e. Since 2019 she has regularly followed Ntina Anastasiadou’s sumi-e lessons in Athens.