meet the artist
About ΣkiA
Where shadows breathe, stories begin
To the wandering visitor, I thank you for stumbling across my page. ‘Skia’ is the Greek word for Shadow, or Shade, which in many ways describes my art journey as well as my relationship to my art. It allows me to surrender to the depths of the imagination and explore the many facets of myself, and others and accept that talent is only partly, if at all, god given and that skill is earned through hard work and mostly dreaded failure.
Under the mentorship of artist Lefteris Economou, it became clear that my career path would be that of an Artist. Following my studies in the UK in Art & Design and after gaining work experience as an architectural technician, I returned to Cyprus where I explored the many avenues of art for a living. My portfolio through the years is extended but not limited to; clay sculpting, box making, wood carving and abstract shaping, sewing, steel wire art, stage design, oil paintings, cake decorating and culinary art.
As a mature artist now, I continue to practice different types of techniques and work on different materials, mainly focusing on graphite realism portraiture and coloured cartoon ‘Muse’ making. The contrasting dance between cartoon and realism, color and black and white are described by darkness and light which in marriage produce a Shadow, in which the wandering visitor may surprisingly find themselves.
My hope is that people take something from my art, be it strength, a lesson, a memory, a good laugh or why not an artsy bag! As you explore my page remember that I am always available for questions, collaborations and commissions and happy to get back to you!
~Mary Papanastassiou / ΣkiA
THE ART
EXPRESSIONS IN EVERY FORM
The handmade and hand-painted bags are designed to be capacious, practical and unique
They’re sewn with care and painted on by hand, on personally selected material.
From the first stitch to the last paint stroke, these are entirely authentic ΣkiA pieces
The Muses are available in Totes for the artsy and environmentally conscious individuals who would love to carry their belongings in a Skia Tote or are looking for the perfect gift for a friend, a daughter, a sister or a partner whose personality matches that of a Muse.
Being mostly known for graphite realism, watercolors have granted me a sense of freedom. As an artist who’s been through many seasons now, if there’s one piece of advice I can share is; don’t let labels define you. Practicing what I now preach, I am allowing myself to grow, to explore and to continue learning as if I’m painting for the very first time. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child aspiring to become an artist, whereas the possibilities are endless. My Watercolor Muses are representative of that exact sentiment. They are created for people who resonate with a multitude of different aspects of oneself, and for young girls who are proud of who they are and are unapologetically themselves.