As appeared in our Press Release:
Sophia Mazaraki Kalogeropoulou (“Sophia”) is Greece’s leading naïve artist. Sophia was born in Athens in 1946, and has lived in Athens throughout her life. After graduating from the University of Athens with a degree in Law and Political-Economic Sciences, she went on to study music at the Athens Conservatory. In the early 1970s, Sophia studied vocal performance in Vienna with the opera greats, Tito Gobbi and Hilda Gueden. She appeared in 1976-77 as a soloist in La Traviata at the Vienna State Opera.
Eventually, Sophia chose to leave the world of opera and life as a diva, and yet never abandoned the music world entirely. Her paintings are alive with music, depicting the fanciful worlds she once inhabited on stage: operatic and ballet scenes shimmering with bursting bubbles and brilliant colors. Rather than turning her back on the world of opera, she has fitted it into a different medium. Sophia’s works are replete with music-related themes, subtle humor, bright colors and philosophical musings, depicting and reflecting upon life’s rich-but fleeting-moments.
And now, Sophia’s works are coming to Israel’s shores. Thirty new works will grace the walls of GINA Gallery of International Naïve Art (“GINA Gallery”), in Tel Aviv’s old north. Sophia’s works will highlight the new exhibition, “HeART Songs”, reflecting the theme of music in Naïve Art. Sophia’s work will be displayed in the upper gallery in conjunction with works of tens of artists from 37 different countries that will be displayed in the lower gallery, all with a musical connection.
