Page 57 - ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL 2022

ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL
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filmed on the slopes of the majestic Mount Olympus.
Your love for Greece is at the heart of everything you
do. What message does your art communicate about
the country that we live in, love and are inspired by?
Greece is a work of art, a masterpiece that I am bless-
ed and privileged to experience every day. It is an ide-
al place in every sense. This country has everything!
Beauty, colour, history, culture, people, feeling, soul.
The message that I want to convey is simple and I
believe in it wholeheartedly… All you need is Greece!
What are the challenges for female artists in Greece?
How hard is it to get your work shown, express your-
self and keep up with obligations while also finding
inspiration and creating?
Daily life is anyway demanding enough for every
woman who works and is a mother, partner, friend,
daughter. So many women face truly challenging con-
ditions, and I am deeply grateful that I get to do what
I love, that my job lets me express myself, helps me
evolve, fulfils me. No matter how many hours I put
in, how demanding my day-to-day is — because I’m
also mother to a six-year-old girl — when everything
quiets down and I sit in front of my canvas, dozens of
images emerge as if by magic and take shape through
my brushes. To me, every day is an inspiration.
With bold motifs and bright colours, your work
evokes feelings of happiness, yet you’re not afraid >
to address some of the difficult subjects facing the
world. How do you do this through your art?
These are unprecedented times and things are chang-
ing constantly and at a staggering speed. I’m always
thinking about how I can contribute. So I take to my
canvas and create images that incorporate empow-
ering symbols, images that evoke strong feelings of
optimism and faith. Some of my favourite symbols,
that I keep coming back to, are the thunderbolt and
the Greek flag.
When Greece was in the throes of its crisis, I painted
the “Crying Greek Flag,” with our flag’s iconic blue
and white stripes weeping. The idea was to show the
flag standing strong and proud, despite the pain and
tears. And those very same attributes, that strength and
resolve, are shared by Greece and the Greek people. >

"GREECE IS A WORK OF

ART, A MASTERPIECE
THAT I AM BLESSED

AND PRIVILEGED TO

EXPERIENCE EVERY DAY."
Left: Caroline Rovithi in her studio. This page: Freedom (top) and Avgolemono (bottom).

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