Looking through the lines of time
Source: Cyprus Mail
Exhibition by Evagoras Karageorgis at Gloria Gallery
The second solo exhibition by Cypriot artist Evagoras Karageorgis will open this week, running until April 15, the Through the Lines of Time includes 37 ink drawings and will be inaugurated by distinguished printmaker Hambis.
A section of the works is inspired by verses from Eftychia Panayiotou’s poetry collection Myths for the End of the World. In July 2024, during a trip to Crete for music lessons, Karageorgis studied her book and began sketching in a notebook, inspired by her verses. Phrases such as ‘on the edge of time,’ ‘birds fastened to their feet,’ ‘body to body, your heart with his heart,’ ‘beautiful birds brought them here,’ and ‘celestial bodies in dense ink’ ignited his imagination and accompany the artworks.
Alongside composing music, Karageorgis has been working with drawing for many years. During his travels he always carries sketchbooks, capturing the view from hotel and house windows. These images serve as points of reference and creative inspiration. Cities such as Munich, Hamburg, Scotland, Paris, Berlin, Athens and Glasgow have left their imprint on his works.
In the summer of 2011, during a trip to Germany with Michalis Pieris for the performance The Song of the Bridge by THEPAK, Karageorgis began sketching scenes of Hamburg’s architecture. In these drawings, he incorporated elements from Cyprus, such as the Pentadaktylos mountain range, often depicted with birds flying over its peaks, symbolising the trauma of war and the quest for lost freedom. Encouraged by artist friends, he transferred his sketches from notebooks to larger formats, leading to his first solo exhibition in 2014 at Gloria Gallery.
A central feature of Karageorgis’ work is the combination of geometric patterns, a quality also reflected in his musical compositions. Dots, lines, circles, squares and triangles are repeated in various combinations, meticulously forming human figures, trees and houses with antennas.
His drawings incorporate personal experiences, such as clothes hanging on lines, knives and stones, evoking childhood memories from his village, Tsada. His father worked in the 1930s in the knife workshops of Lapithos, crafting knives he sold at fairs before later using them as a butcher. Additionally, he recalls the construction of domes in his village and the clearing of stones from fields – elements that, in his work, serve as a reminder of natural materials in an era dominated by concrete and steel.
His faceless figures, composed of dots and lines, place humanity at the centre. His modest and humble houses reflect a longing for simplicity, away from material wealth and the imposing towers that dominate the contemporary landscape. His trees symbolise natural life, virtue and longevity, while his birds signify freedom, the spirit of independence and the journey of life.
Lastly, the clothes hanging on lines symbolise humanity’s suspension between earth and sky, hinting at the spiritual dimension of human existence.
Through the Lines of Time
Solo exhibition by Evagoras Karageorgis. March 28 – April 15. Gloria Gallery, Nicosia. Opening night: 7.30pm. Monday: 5.30pm-8pm. Tuesday – Friday: 10.30am – 12.45pm and 5.30pm – 8pm. Saturday: 10.30am – 12.45pm. https://www.gloriagallery.com
The original article: belongs to Cyprus Mail .
