Project Statement

‘Skulls of the Earth and the Wind Of the Sea and the Fire Tamed Four-legged creatures for exploitation In life and after Fears which struggle to be diminished Cells which awaken and remember Celebrate Dancers in a ritual Sacred Creating new skin A further chance They succeed through their own efforts’

Al Zekra, meaning ‘The Memory’ in Arabic, is the thread which connects us with the primordial memory of the cell. The concept of the work originated from a deep need of the artist to pay homage to the historical roots of her family. It is a journey which began in Ancient Athens, continued in the Dodecanese to the island of Kasos, then on to Egypt. The pilgrimage returned to the Athens of the 19th century, before arriving at the present day. It is a lifetime holistic project which reflects the poignant struggle to exorcise death from within the memory. Al Zekra is a multi-level artwork, comprising jewelry, sculpture and digital/analogue collage printed on paper.

 

About the Katakouzenos House Museum
The former home of Angelos and Leto Katakouzenos, an Athenian couple who were part of the intellectual elite of the so-called “1930s generation”. They inhabited this residence overlooking the National Garden from 1960 to 1997. The lively debates and creative experimentation cultivated by Angelos and his wife had a lasting influence on cultural and political life in Greece. Some of the artworks on display were gifted to the couple by the biggest artists of the day: a pair of decorative wooden doors (painted by Nikos Ghika); the Four Kisses series (a wedding gift from George Gounaropoulos); and there’s a Marc Chagall, La tête blonde de Lito dans le bleu Chagall, in the sitting room.
 

Artist Biography
Sofia Zarari completed her studies in Political Science to gain a better understanding of the World, but she felt inspired to follow her passion for art, and so ventured into jewelry design. Then she moved to Rome where she specialized in micro-sculpture. For many years she worked as a fine jewelry designer for renowned Houses with regular participation in European jewelry fairs. Her work’s visual expression through the fields of collage, assemblage, allowed her to surpass the limits of wearable art. The last decade, she has focused her perspective on the social face of art. She occasionally uses performance art—movement and speech—as a means to approach cultures, revive primitive practices, decode symbols and understand their meanings. The written word has also become an important channel for expression. Her works are included in private collections and museums around the world. She lives and works in Athens.