Cyprus Mosaics In Time – The Need of Nostalgia

 

In 2017, Efstathiou created the limited series "Cyprus Mosaics in Time-The need of Nostalgia", which he revisited in 2023 with the creation of two more paintings. 

 

The artist’s need to return to the past was born through his visits to the museums of Cyprus.Through these paintings, Efstathiou communicates the essence of Cypriot tradition and culture with the passing of time. The feeling of longing for something that is lost and the innate need for collective nostalgia are what drove the artist to originally create  five monumental paintings.

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This series is characteristic for its depictions of traditional folk motives, mosaics, carved scenes, archaic clay figurines, forms of the ancient world and of recent folk culture, in combination with depictions of the island’s endemic plants and trees. The selection of colours  is based on the colours that characterize Cyprus, and creates a sense of uniformity throughout the series. Faced with the necessity of nostalgia, his  paintings reconstruct a surreal yet personal world.

 

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