Artist Anna Mihailidou
Congratulations to Anna Mihailidou for placing as a finalist in the 6th Edition!
who are you?
My name is Anna Mihailidou and I was born in 1975 in Athens, Greece. My painting journey began at an early age more as a refuge due to difficult years in my life. During the course of my life, it became an internal necessity, something that continues to this day. The life of an artist is not easy especially when you have to survive. So, because my need for painting was irrevocable but I couldn't survive just on my artwork I had to take other jobs to support myself financially.
At the age of 27, I succeeded and passed the exams at the Higher Institute of Fine Arts of Athens. The following year, I suffered temporary blindness which, however, passed with the appropriate treatment, but the medical tests showed Multiple Sclerosis. Of course, my stubbornness and my artistic dreams did not allow me to give up. So, I continued, energetically, and graduated from university with honors. From then on, painting has been by my side and my inner support throughout my life until today, starting a wonderful artistic journey that is fortunately endless!
Finally, it is worth noting that the term ‘’political painting’’ has never been a term for the term’s sake, it simply came up as a characterization of my work. In any case, I am not interested in committed art (politically engaged art), but clearly, the social part of the reality we live. I am interested in having an opinion and creating paintings when I have something to say that might possibly be touching other people, too.
Lastly, I believe in the power of art and that it can penetrate the innermost depths and decisively affect people’s psychology.
“Orphelia” (Winning work)
Oil on canvas
By Anna Mihaildou
What inspired you to utilize painting as a medium?
My mother was a painter and ceramist and as a child, I watched her paint all the time, so maybe that worked unconsciously in me to choose painting. During the course of my work, I tried other mediums like ceramics and engraving but painting came out to me effortlessly and I felt I expressed myself best through it. In any case, painting challenges me, it fills me up, intrigues me, and constantly teaches me new things. It teaches me to really have patience, to listen, to think, and to better understand things around me.
“Who put the fat in the fire”
Oil on canvas
By Anna Mihaildou
“This particular work deals with the delicacy of the boundaries of social situations. How fragile everything is in our world and how a situation gets worse if we are not careful. That's why I present a carefree little girl looking happily at the viewer and at the same time steps on her dress with the risk of losing her balance. In addition, around her, there are mines everywhere that are not visible at first glance. In most of my works, I use children because they represent the future. So what world have we brought our children to live in? What world are we leaving them in? What kind of world have we created for them? The work was done at the beginning of the social and economic crisis both in Greece and in most countries of the world.”
Can you discuss the inspiration and thought process behind “Ophelia”?
Through this specific project, I wanted to show another image of the modern woman. The woman who, in order to be liked and above all to feel good about herself, does not need to identify with today's social standards defined by the fashion of Social media. Unfortunately, there is a large portion of women who depend on the image that sells the most. This is how we see women with an almost identical image, the same eyebrows, the same lips, cheekbones, and the same body type as the Barbie dolls. So, the comment of the work concerns the woman who does not want and does not need to be another plastic doll which is obviously determined by the sex appeal that defines a masculine social part.
Both the image of the woman of the reclining woman amidst a "river" of dolls and the title "Ophelia" was inspired by Shakespeare's "Ophelia" - a woman who always depended on the male-dominated society she lived in and was subordinate to others decided for once and for all to take control of herself through her tragic choice to end her life. My own "Ophelia" chooses to take control of herself, not through death, but through life and the dynamic choices she makes for herself. So, you're dealing with a modern-day "Ophelia" who is in control of her life and is not distracted by social media Institutions that define the female role model. Thus, Thus it claims and chooses the image it defines within, from the rebirth of its freedom of choice. The Ophelia of our time is dynamic, respects her feminine nature, and is real, earthy, and not plastic. She is simply herself without lifestyle wrappers.
“Untitled”
Oil on canvas
By Anna Mihaildou
“We live in a time where the world's reactions to things happening around us and across the planet cannot be contained in any way. Fortunately, people rebel and demonstrate at every opportunity and this is healthy for a society that claims a better present and future. However, how clean can a protest be from someone who wears a hood or a mask (without showing who he is) and escapes the essence of the goal, causing destruction and vandalism? Why should someone who claims his rights have to hide his face and cause harm to others? In this wrong way, the essence of a protest is stigmatized and soiled. So anyone can hide behind a hood and pretend to be a rebel when in reality they have a different social status (the symbolism in the underwear) in order to do more harm than good.”
Can you walk us through the technical steps of creating “Ophelia”?
The model I used, for "Ophelia", is an amazing person and a very good friend. In real life, she has a different style from what I present her (without a trace of makeup and in a man's suit) since in her everyday life she is glamorous and has a more girly image. For this particular project, I had to change it completely! So I made her lie on the floor, on a bed sheet, and photographed her from above. Through many photos, I started, first drawing in pencil on the canvas, and then I proceeded to use oil media removing and adding elements working in many layers.
“Dream on Baby”
Oil on canvas
By Anna Mihaildou
“It is an allegorical work starring a child and his longing for "sweets" as a metaphor for the longing – an addiction that people have in all types of psychotropics, literally and figuratively. It is impressive how many people around the world have the need to receive any psychological stability, given the stress and psychological state determined by the way of life of modern society. That is why thousands of people resort to addictions related to utopian situations, either through unreal virtual realities (social media) or by taking substances in their attempt to create another reality because they are unable to face what exists. In this particular work, I try to touch this situation with causticity, instead of candies, there are psychotropic drugs - just as attractive (in fact, all psychotropic drugs have bright colors). The work is essentially a bell - a message of this situation, so I use a child who symbolizes the future. It is a project that can act as a deterrent, through awakening.”
Can you discuss why you chose to use realism for your work?
It is important for the work to evolve and as a consequence, there are some changes in the technique or in the style of an artist So, during the course of my work, my technical requirements increased, in terms of my touch, the quality of my color tone, the synthetic environment and all within the framework of my own need, which will give me the energy and the pulse of realism that I want. Through the work process and study, realism and the content of my works emerged.
Realism is one of the main elements of my work with the aim not to imitate photography but to surpass photography. In other words, photography is the tool means, for achieving my idea. I was interested in extreme realism not as a sterile recognizable image, but my goal is the detail of pulsating energy. Observation and instinct help me a lot in this aspect. So, I subtract or add my own elements from the original photographic reference points to get the "inner" realism I'm interested in.
In any case, I am an enthusiast of good painting, whether it is done in a representational way or with the abstract - but essential - approach of non-figurative art. In the end, I think that the best version of painting today is the one that expresses the artist's truth, and this in any case, cannot be hidden from the now-suspicious viewer.
“I thought I'd just take a shot at my life”
Oil on canvas
By Anna Mihaildou
“Through the work, I wanted to emphasize a difficult reality. The fact there are many children who have no choice, having been born or about to be born in countries at war. This means that there are children who do not know what freedom is and do not know what it is like without the sound of gunshots in their ears or the fear of a bomb falling on them.”
Have you experimented with other mediums?
In the past, I have experimented with different mediums like acrylic, inks, pastel, and charcoal. At present, oils are the primary material in my work. However, sometimes I experiment and study other materials, in order to achieve the qualities and textures I want.
“The soul never imprisoned not...only into the body”
Oil on canvas
By Anna Mihaildou
“This work was made for Human Rights and for violence against women for exhibition under UNESCO Greece Daily. Some women, all over the world, are denied freedoms and rights that some other women take for granted. The work deals with the inalienable right of free choice that all women of the world in the West and East should have. How easy is it for these women to travel abroad? Get a driver's license or get a divorce? To be educated and choose the profession they want or to be vindicated according to the laws if they go to court? How easy is it for them to freely express their opinion and have political rights? All this and much more, which for some women is self-evident, for some others is unimaginable! But the above is the minimum since there are women in the world who are abused and murdered every day because they are... Women. Are these women of a lesser God? Are they less capable than some other women? Less beautiful, with fewer brains, with fewer needs, with less soul?… No! After all, "The soul is never imprisoned, but only in the body".
Can you talk about your biggest learning experience during the process of creating your work?
Starting the journey of my artistic path, my main concern was the most essential and deep knowledge of an academic education that includes, beyond the technical issues, the concept of "How'' and not of "What'' I will do.
Therefore, I have never been concerned with finding an unprecedented subject or strange materials or an ephemeral manner for the sake of being impressive.
Simply as requested, I researched, searched, studied, and discovered and one project gave birth to the next. Everything was happening as a natural consequence.
Over the years my demands grew guided by my inner need.
About 3-4 years ago, I felt I had to restart, therefore, I started to read and study from the beginning, as if I was taking my first step in drawing, in the study of color, composition, technical experimentation, etc. This process, gave me great, lessons, and mainly made me realize the importance of "less" is "more". That is, having just the essential things is better than having way too much of superfluous things or from which it is less complicated is often better understood and appreciated more. This helped me both in the technical part and in the essence of my work.
“Close Encounters Of The Third Kind”
Oil on canvas
By Anna Mihaildou
“It is a work where, through contrast and caustic humor, it negotiates "make love not war" which concerns violence, abuse of power, or manipulative behavior in human relationships. Relations: political, emotional, of different social or intellectual classes. Through the work, I’d like to emphasize that the contrasts and differences between people are relative and that the similarities are more essential than we think.”
Can you discuss your biggest success since starting your artistic journey?
I've never been great at public relations in promoting my work. But whenever my works were shown, I could see that they exerted a great emotional-psychological influence on people. I believe, for an artist, this is a great success. Usually, there is an interaction where people standing in front of my work are either worried or crying, or smiling. In any case, she is not indifferent and that is the point for me.
Anyway, I have always been interested in how my art can work by awakening the viewer and acting as a catalyst in the viewer's psychological, emotional, and cerebral world.
Artworks its magic on a person's mind and passes into our unconscious. After all, awakening, worrying, stimulating the mind and emotion, cultivating the spirit, and perhaps making us better people - that is the greatest success.
“Two can play at that game!”
Oil on canvas
By Anna Mihaildou
“According to the title of the play “Two can play in this game!” when someone wants to hurt someone else, it doesn't mean that the other person can't do the same. The tactics or strategy of one man against another, or even one country against another, can be used against him. That is, anyone can be quite capable of copying someone else's behavior. Particular attention must be paid both at the personal level and at the global level with regard to the political behavior of the Countries.
What projects are you working on currently? Can you discuss them?
I just finished the portraits of a little boy and a little girl. This is a diptych I call "Adam and Eve / After all I love you" on the occasion of (the original sin) it deals with the eternal conflict or finally the union of human relations between male and female.
This project has not been displayed except for some details of the process. In addition, I have already completed a new project and I am in the initial design part of it entitled "wife material".
“Untitled”
Oil on canvas
By Anna Mihaildou
“The donkey, a typical animal of the Greek countryside, symbolizes the poor tortured man who "carries heavy loads" next to the technocrat who hugs him, or is his "hug" fake? Given the socio-political and economic situation that prevails both in Greece and worldwide, this project has many interpretations and this is most important. Either the renegotiation of human relations is tested in a difficult reality. Either emphasizing values such as those of solidarity, and hospitality. Either, generally, are those elements that can unite different peoples or different social strata… Or maybe is the opposite, through a constructed and apparent reality!”
What is your dream project or piece you hope to accomplish?
My mind, and my thoughts don't stop even when I fall asleep and it's ridiculously tiring sometimes, but that's how my system works. Ideas come from everywhere! from people from TV, newspapers, magazines, phrases, music, books, street incidents, feelings, contacts, movies, words... I already have a lot, of projects and ideas that I want to complete. New challenges with projects waiting to be created on my canvas.
Lastly, I like to ask everyone what advice they would give to their fellow artists/photographers, what is your advice?
I won't put it as advice but more as a personal opinion. An artist's work requires solitude, time, and his entire energy for the sake of his essential creation. So this devotion has corresponding sacrifices. On a daily basis, you need military discipline to get creative.
Work for quality not quantity and that's the point.
How can we achieve all this? By consistently! Art requires a lot of work, and absolute dedication. It takes constant effort over time and dedication to our ideas and truth. Then and only then maybe we will have the quality we are looking for.
Finally, the most important thing is that, no matter how many difficulties we encounter on our way, always try for the best and never give up.
To view more of Anna Mihaildou’s work