ARTIST PROFILE
Born and raised in London, Stella Sevastopoulos (Στέλλα Σεβαστοπούλου), moved to Greece in 1994. She has studied Art, English literature and History of Art at Harrow College of Art, Lancaster University and Reading University. Her MA thesis was on 'Oscar Wilde and Hellenism in Victorian England'. Stella has been covering the Greek art scene on her site ‘Art Scene Athens’, since 2015, and has been developing her art practice throughout the years, but all the more so in recent ones, when she picked up the courage to also exhibit her work. Nature in particular has inspired her to create both figurative and abstract works. She likes to explore the ‘grey zones’ between art and design, and sometimes, even in the figurative works, you will discover some more abstract design elements. She always signs her works simply as ‘Stella’.
Ιn 2018, Stella realised a solo show (at Placebo in Glyfada). Between 2019-2020, she participated in various group shows: Glyfada Society of Arts and Letters; trii art hub; Hypatia Cultural Society; 'Love and Disaster in Athens' at Fokianou art space; '20/20 High Vision' at artzone42 gallery; the online 'Artvirus' exhibition; 'S(tr)ay a little prayer for me' at the Tsichritzis Foundation for the Visual Arts in Kifissia; 'New Symbols' at Chili Art Gallery in Thissio; the online exhibition 'Exit Virus/Enter Greece'; 'The Fight between Birds and Gods - Swarm Intelligence' at the Dassous Theatre, Thessaloniki, organised by the National Theatre of Northern Greece.
In 2021, she participated in more group shows at artzone42 ('Universal Flux, Meta-Corona Era'), at Fokianou art space ('Castro', and 'Travel App'), and at the Tsichritzis Foundation ('Dream Of' and 'Sea, Greek Genus'); She also participated in a group show at the Hellenic-French Association ('My heART'). Due to the pandemic, Stella also participated in many online group exhibitions organised by Dimitris Lazarou and art-profiles.net , and also in a virtual exhibition organised by art number 23 gallery (based in London and Athens), entitled 'New Era II'. She also had the honour of creating a series of illustrations for writer Kathryn Koromylas and her project 'The Joyful Practice of Stoic Death Writing'.
In 2022, Stella was invited by artist/curator Sue Tilley to participate in the group exhibition ‘Together We Draw’, at the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery in the UK. She also participated in the group exhibition ‘Night in Athens’ at Fokianou Art Space. She was invited by gallery owner Glenda Lorenzani and curator/journalist Manuela De Leonardis to participate in the first artists residency ‘Greetings from Athens’, at Domus Art Gallery Athens. She was also invited to participate in Fokianou Art Space’s group exhibition ‘On the Magic Mountain’, followed by a group exhibition at the Tsichritzis Foundation for the Visual Arts in Kifissia, commemorating the 100 years since the Asia Minor Catastrophe, entitled ‘Uprooting, Realism’. Stella was also one of the 8 artists chosen by the prestigious Vardas fashion company for their project ‘Making Summer Memories’. Two of her Samian seascapes were on show throughout the summer, at Vardas in Kifissia. In December of 2022, Stella was invited to participate in an art exhibition which accompanied Vicky Kosmopoulou’s book ‘EKTI’ (Sixth), which gives the sixth caryatid in the British Museum a voice.
2023 kicked off with her participation in the exhibition ‘Escapism in Athens’, at Fokianou Art Space. From March 22-April 9, Stella’s work ‘Jungle Rhythms’ was exhibited at the Tsichritzis Foundation for the Visual Arts, as part of the exhibition ‘My hand tells me what I think’, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s death. The exhibition was under the aegis of the Spanish Embassy and the Cervantes Institute. In June she realized her second solo exhibition ‘Rhythms of Nature’, at the Cultural Hub of Voula, under the aegis of the Hypatia Cultural Society, and also sponsored by Samos Wines. In September, she exhibited in the 3-person exhibition ‘Through the Eyes of Aphrodite’, at Thalia Gallery. In November she exhibited at the Hellenic-French Association, in a group exhibition inspired by the words of Cavafy: ‘Of Fundamental Importance And Primary Element Of Art, Is Emotion’. In January she was chosen as one of the three finalists in an open call run by Art & Hobby.
Currently Stella is participating in the two-person exhibition 'Erosion & Renewal' at FokiaNou artspace. The exhibition runs till March 2.
Stella’s works can be found in private collections and in the collection of the National Theatre of Northern Greece. Her artwork can also be printed on various household (and other) objects at redbubble and society6, and prints of works as well as originals, can be found on saatchiart.com. As a journalist she has worked at 'The Art Magazine' (English editor and contributor), and at the 'Athens News' (Arts Editor for 7 years, and contributor). She has contributed articles to various other publications (eg. 'Neos Kosmos Greek-Australian newspaper', 'Argo' journal of the SPHS in London, 'Athens Insider' magazine). She has also worked as a translator, and in exhibition organisation, e.g. organizing the 'Art and Creativity' exhibitions of 2020, 2021, and 2022, 2023 for the Hypatia Cultural Society, at the Pnevmatiki Estia of Voula (Cultural Hub of Voula).