“Fluid beauty” - an ode to water
In Greece, we typically associate water with the deep blue or emerald colours of the sea. Our country has become intertwined in the collective consciousness of the world with the azure aura of the seawater surrounding it. This is the image I have grown up with as well. However, as I explore the small river that flows near our mountain cottage, my relationship with water is gradually changing. Every time I follow the flow of this river, observe the streams around the village, and feel the rush of the nearby waterfall, I discover new images. The scenery adapts according to the light and the everchanging colours of the environment that is transformed by the alternating seasons. In the water, I find an enchanting new world that beckons me to explore it. Water adds texture and life to nature and stimulates all my senses, especially in the more claustrophobic setting of the forest or the mountain, where there is no horizon to meet when gazing at the sea. The connection with water feels deeper and more intimate.
Water changes forms, as it can alternate between its states of matter (liquid, solid, and gas). This alone is spectacular to watch. However, as a photographer, what fascinates me the most is the water’s ability to transform everything it touches. Each time, I have the opportunity to connect with water in a different way. The natural filter of the water manages to distort the real world. The clear membrane of the surface of a body of water is merely a distorting mirror that, through refraction, transforms pebbles, fallen leaves, and twigs into creatures of indeterminate shape. Water can adapt to every environment and to every weather condition. It like it absorbs the mood of nature. When it’s cloudy, it becomes darker; in the forest, it takes on the colour of the foliage, and in summer, it merges with the sunny sky.
The exhibition "Fluid beauty" consists of different sections, showcasing the parallel water worlds that coexist within and around me. Whenever I come into contact with the elements of Nature, something revelatory happens, and the deepest feelings of joy, gratitude, awe, and relief come to the surface. My vision is to highlight the unseen aspects of Nature, water in this instance, through an artistic visual perspective. While working on this theme, I affirmed how easy it is to uncover the poetry and magic hidden in the details of everyday life. It is in these unique moments that I find the joy and energy to continue creating my own parallel perceptible realities.
Through the photographic lens, I attempt to create an emotional connection between the viewers and water, enabling them to encounter the spiritual, transformative, and poetic essence that I believe resides within water. The exhibition "Fluid beauty" serves as a statement on the value of water in our lives, an element that is an integral part of us even before our birth, and without which we cannot survive. My hope is that my environmental concerns are perceived, even as a secondary thematic focus of the exhibition, and that the audience may be awakened to safeguard this precious resource with greater care.
