Strolleroptera 10 #4 Collage

Despina Myriokefalitaki-Zografos is a visual artist born and raised on the island of Crete, in Greece. She works in a variety of mediums including hand cut paper, acrylic painting on paper, cyanotype, photograph and video. Her artwork has been featured in exhibits in Greece, The Netherlands, Scotland and most recently in New York where she currently lives and works. Despina artwork was recently, July 2021, included at “The Other Art Fair” in Brooklyn, NY. One of her works received 2nd place at the exhibit “Art of Layering” at NAWA (National Association of Women Artists) Gallery in NYC. She also received Honorable Mention at 60th Long Island Artists Exhibition, Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, Dix Hills, NY. In addition her work was featured at the exhibit “Wide Open 10” at BWAC Gallery in Red Hook, Brooklyn, curated by Ylinka Barotto, Assistant Curator at Guggenheim Museum. Her artwork has also been selected to be featured in Early Winter 2020 Artist Showcase article on https://artsyshark.com Since March 2022 Despina is a member of National Association of Women Artists. Despina lives and works in New York. My recent art work consists of works on paper. I create my pieces by combining two layers of hand cut paper or by using one layer of hand cut paper combined with a second layer of acrylic painting on paper or a cyanotype. Most recently punctured text has been introduced on my pieces. Using pictures of my shadow as well the idea of the web I design intricate geometric motifs. Childhood memories of complex geometric patterns in crochets and embroideries, a common practice among the female members of my family, inform my work. In my artwork I explore the multiple possibilities of different combinations generated by the use of a single geometric motif. Repetition, changes in shape and scale unveil abstract artworks. For this particular body of works titled “Stroller-o-ptera” the inspiration was a picture of my shadow pushing my twin stroller. “Stroller-o-ptera” is an autoschediastic word pursuant to “Lepidoptera”, an order of insects that include butterflies. This word is composed by an English word “stroller” and the word “ptera” meaning “wings” in Greek. In this word the two languages that I speak in my every day life are combined. Transformation is a notion inherent to butterflies and a theme that I also explore in my art works. Through the process of paper cutting the paper is being transformed to a lace like surface.