SOPHIA ZARARI: Animate Matter. Sophia’s Journey Through Art, Archetypes, and the Human Body

by Niki Stylianou

My Sophia, your work with the title “Laskarina” has already traveled the world, just like the real person behind the work. Tell us a few words about what this woman/heroine means to you. Do you identify with her? Do you recognize an archetype in her? How does she embody your symbols?

The story of the dynamic, brave, and heroic Laskarina, who stood as a worthy daughter, wife, mother, skilled entrepreneur, and merchant, a tireless leader in the Greek struggle against the Ottoman Empire, is an example of a leading female personality of the 19th century, whose impact resonates through time.

When one considers the multitude of women's roles in our days, Laskarina appears as a woman who had the strength and courage to break the rigid rules of her time and act for the common good.

Identified in my consciousness with the archetypal figure of the Amazon, Laskarina represents a powerful female role model, clearly emphasizing the independent nature of women without depriving her of the companion and maternal role.

What is the significance of symbols for a creator?

Let us agree on the definition that recognizes a symbol as a shape, representation, or sign that contributes (starting from its etymology) to decrypting the meaning it carries. Under this condition, symbolic representation of concepts and objects forms the basis of communication between two or more subjects. Therefore, each symbol serves as a means of communication.

From primitive humans and the peculiar symbols they carved with their makeshift tools in caves, to symbolism in art in the late 19th century, the movement that juxtaposed spirituality and dream against the faithful way in which naturalism and realism attempted to capture reality, symbols are an integral part of human life and evolution.

In my case, symbols play a dominant role. It is the symbols and their significance that served as inspiration and the starting point for the birth of the jewelry brand MYSTiS, creating collections that exclusively carry the energy of wearable symbols within them.

On a broader scale, I believe it is the artists themselves who give energy and power to the shapes and forms that emerge through their art.

You have been at the forefront of the collective effort of the Declaration of Sentiments: a New Dialogue, in this initial experimental edition of the JELO6 project. What does the "declaration of a sentiment" phrase mean to you? An opportunity for self-expression and interaction? Peaceful activism? All of the above and maybe more?

In a time when femicides are dramatically increasing in our country and around the world, the Declaration of Sentiments, as the main conceptual framework of this unique exhibition of contemporary jewelry, appears to be extremely timely.

Following that, the 'New Dialogue', which was created to stand alongside and somewhat support the initial 'statements' of the artists, reinforces the idea that the advancement of women's rights and freedoms is an enduringly vital demand for art and society.

At the heart of each such concept, jewelry primarily serves as a conveyer of social and political messages, through the interaction of the object with movement, the body, and the individual who chooses to wear it to declare a situation, express a need, or protest. To resist against an inhumane condition that is in urgent need of change.

Your love for artistic creation takes on many forms, utilizes various materials, and transcends dimensions. You engage simultaneously with the concept, image, materials, scale, and connection to human existence. How do you navigate between these different aspects? What is the significance of the human body in all of this?

In reality, my unwavering desire to avoid being confined by any framework that may restrict my art and self-expression has always been present. There are times when I feel at ease creatively coexisting with the magical microcosm provided to me through jewelry as a medium. At other times, I strongly feel the need to expand into space, alter scale, shape, and experiment with new materials.

A defining characteristic of my work is the rhythmic interchange of various approaches and modes of creative expression. Wearable or non-wearable pieces utilizing the collage/assemblage technique, larger-scale sculptures, minimalist jewelry items, alongside others rich in materials and colors, harmoniously compose the mosaic of my art. In a curious manner, all these diverse versions interconnect, engage in dialogue with each other, and ultimately fully embrace one another.

When jewelry first makes contact with the body, it embodies for me the most sacred moment since its inception. Adorning the body, the jewelry takes on a soul, transitioning from inert matter to animate material, feeling, sensing, attuning to the heartbeat, sharing in people's anxieties, fears, gratitude, and joy directly, quietly listening to the prayers and dreams of the wearer.

Tell us about your Work, Place, and Time.

As the years pass, what primarily concerns me is the social impact of art, directly linked to the therapeutic power it holds deep within.

The profound need to sensitively approach social issues consistently guides my hands and spirit in that direction.

Works like "The Garment of Life," which has always been associated with women battling to survive breast cancer from the outset, "Ithaca_Odyssey," a wearable sculpture crafted to honor the 40 years of contribution of the KETHEA-Ithaca rehabilitation center and to instill hope and faith in those fighting substance addiction, "Antilogos," a combined sculpture and jewelry piece directly related to the major refugee issue, the non-functional sculpture "SOS - Planet Earth," serving as a commentary on the repercussions of climate change, and "Laskarina," a jewelry piece - an homage to the feminine nature, are among the works through which I strive to address the essential issues that affect us.

The places where I grew up, walked as a child, and encountered throughout my life's journey are intricately linked to my works. Egypt, my grandmother's birthplace on my mother's side, continually present in the way it molded my aesthetics, the neighborhood of the Acropolis, our islands, the sea, where our family originates, Aegina, Antiparos, Kasos, Rome, Samothrace, Naples, India, the journeys that have never ceased to spiritually and mentally nourish me, the people I deeply loved, are the hidden points on the map of my existence that are subconsciously imprinted in everything my hands create.

The childhood years, adolescence, youth, the adult phase of my life, the memories, the Memory, sturdy vertebrae, immortal within time, alive, always ready to respond to the call of the soul and mind, to narrate their own precious stories...

What would make your heart flutter if you were to visit an exhibition for the first time in your life? A universe or a fragment? A sea or a drop? The grand image or a small detail that speaks to you? A perfectly organized ensemble or a gesture that may even seem discordant?

A beautiful question... If I were to visit an exhibition for the first time, what would truly make my heart flutter?

A universe, effortlessly drawing me to stay within it forever...

A fragment... whatever wished to linger, not to be lost, to remind us...

The sea. How I have cherished the sea since childhood...

A drop, small yet so powerful, to rouse me from lethargy. Without seeking approval, it assumed the form of a verse. "I watch over you like a tear..."

The grand image that envelops all. I often ponder what might be concealed behind the grand image.

A small detail, delicate, tender, and sometimes intense. Revealing stark truths long hidden...

A perfectly organized ensemble. I have never truly felt at ease within perfectly arranged ensembles. Those rare entities that stand out from the crowd, with ideas that appear discordant, the dreamers, the romantics, the revolutionaries, are what stir my heart each time. Even to this day...

What makes an artistic work authentic for you?

The truth, the undisputed truth, the unadulterated information that springs directly from the depths of the soul, without concern for the acceptance of others.

Is jewelry considered art? If so, what defines it as art?

I find the perspective from which the creator defines the object to be significant. What is the true purpose of the work, how is this object executed, and how does the artist intend to handle it after its creation?

When discussing contemporary jewelry, we are referring to a purely artistic object, an authentic creation that equally embodies the qualities of uniqueness and timelessness.

Contemporary jewelry is not dictated by trends or the value of the materials used. It is the result of a meticulous process carried out in the artist's studio. It is built on an ideological foundation that serves as a vital catalyst for it to attain independent meaning and purpose of existence. It transcends mere decoration; it embodies an idea, conveys a socio-political message, without aiming for mass production.

Are there contemporary jewelry artists whom you have admired and been inspired by? If so, tell me a few words about them.

I choose to mention three earthly Greek Goddesses of art who have deeply inspired me:

- The self-taught Sofia Thanopoulou, known in the artistic world as Maroulina, who started her journey from Rostov in Russia, moved to Piraeus, Aegina, and eventually arrived in Mykonos. The place where she creatively flourished with original charms, rosaries, talismans, and her legendary jewelry at the "Maroulina's Shop," named after her mother Maroulina Kampani, a Mykonian from the Mavrogeni family, who produced Manto Mavrogeni for the Struggle. The elite of the time frequented the "Maroulina's Shop." Fanatical clients included Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn, Melina Mercouri, Tina Livanou, and Elizabeth Taylor. In the retrospective exhibition dedicated by the Benaki Museum years ago to her artistic legacy, I felt truly moved witnessing, beyond her skill, the immense sensitivity with which this unique artist so naturally transformed metal and stones into a small handmade wonder.

- Lisa Sotilis, the young beauty and descendant of the heroic general Napoleon Sotilis, who shone throughout Europe and America with her work and presence. As she has stated in her interviews, she started creating jewelry for her personal need and use. Her encounter with the prominent collector of the time, Alexandros Iolas, her acquaintance with Andy Warhol, René Magritte, Salvador Dali, and Giorgio de Chirico, her collaboration with the Cartier house marked milestones in the journey of the exceptionally talented artist. Her pieces could be aptly described today as body jewelry, as they allow the human body to be adorned entirely with them. Her wearable maximalist sculptures intentionally respond to the body's movement, transform with each change of posture, develop, evolve, harmoniously follow the cycle of life, and primarily the psyche of the wearer.

- Sofia Vari, who recently passed away. The beautiful painter and sculptor, companion of the famous Colombian artist Fernando Botero, chose to become known in the art world using the surname 'Vari,' from the region of Attica where her paternal home was located. With studies in London and Paris and a career that flourished internationally, Sofia Vari honed marble from her early steps, worked with silver, made close friends with copper and bronze, creating primarily large-scale works. "It's not that I decided to become an artist. I simply couldn't do otherwise. If I attempted, it would be like trying not to breathe." A boundless source of inspiration for her, geometric lines, cubism, and Pre-Columbian art. The axis, the volume, the harmony, formed the triptych for the artist upon which she consciously developed her art. I wonder, what need led the internationally recognized creator to shift from voluminous abstract sculptural forms and her collages to the microcosm of jewelry and adapt her idiosyncratic geometric universe to the scale of the human body?

How do you see the future of our field in Greece? And what are your personal plans?

Unfortunately, while jewelry in Greece carries the weight of thousands of years of history on its shoulders, it has not yet managed to acquire the academic position it deserves in this country. On the contrary, there is a truly remarkable potential of Greek artists today who are exclusively dedicated to the art of jewelry. A circle of talented individuals with international presence and participation in significant contemporary jewelry exhibitions abroad.

In my opinion, education plays a primary role. There must be foundations on which those who start to engage with the art of jewelry can leave their artistic imprint. The ethos one must possess. The culture, the aesthetics that require constant cultivation and direct communication with all fields of art, such as painting, poetry, literature, theater, and cinema. Only in this way can an artist evolve and progress. A necessary ally in this endeavor is state support, organizations, and educating children in schools.

As for my personal plans, I hope in the future to have the opportunity to create through truly healthy and inspired collaborations. To maintain my sensitivity, to continue to perceive beyond the subjective the world around me, to share the struggles, pain, and anxieties of people, and through my art, to be able to offer generously strength, faith, light, and hope.

Thank you! Be well, Niki, and may you fulfill your dreams.