The struggle of women in the modern history of Cyprus

The exhibition AGONIES – Diamantis in Thessaloniki shows an authentic depiction of the historical experience and soul of the Cypriot people, also important for today’s Cyprus, as it reflects deep experiences that continue to shape the collective identity of the country

An exhibition focusing on the Agonies series of works by pioneering Cypriot artist Adamantios Diamantis (1900-1994), brings the human struggle of last century people of Cyprus to the people of Greece as part of ongoing cultural events mark the island’s presidency of the EU Council.

AGONIES – Diamantis opened at the Museum of Byzantine Culture of Thessaloniki, co-organised by the Press and Information Office (PIO) and the island’s Consulate General in Thessaloniki, with the support of the Museum of Byzantine Culture of Thessaloniki.

In particular, the struggle of the women of the modern history of Cyprus is portrayed, who, in the face of imminent danger, are fighting to save what is most precious to them: their children and their animals, on which the survival of the rural world of Cyprus depended.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said “through the exhibition, the work of the leading Cypriot painter Adamantios Diamantis is highlighted showing an authentic depiction of the historical experience and soul of the Cypriot people,” he said.

“The works of the ‘Agonies’ collection, which were created in the period 1963 to 1977, reflect the trials, fears, but also the endurance of a people who experienced deep historical breakthroughs,” he added. “Through the forms and scenes projected in his emblematic works, timeless values are highlighted, such as humanity and dignity, which characterise Cypriot Hellenism.”

Greece’s Deputy Minister of Education Dr Nikos Papaioannou said art is something that “unites us, inspires us and gives us a voice. It gives voice to our feelings and thoughts. This is what Adamantios Diamantis did, this is what his work shows. And if we accept that education is the basis of every nation, education is the pillar for the presence of the nation over the centuries, art and culture are the second pillar that supports each other. The relationship historically between Greece and Cyprus is uninterrupted.

“Works of this level breathe life, give substance to Greek culture all over the world and for this reason I believe that the work of Adamantios Diamantis contains both political and national messages, which are essentially alive all the way.”

Director of the PIO Aliki Stylianou referred to her personal relationship with Adamantios Diamantis, whom she remembered as “a man who, despite his advanced age, remained tireless and dedicated to his art”.

She described Diamantis as “the father of modern Cypriot art, the teacher who inspired the love for art in generations of Cypriots, the man who loved and was loved by scholars, but also by people of daily toil”.

Speaking about the exhibition, Stylianou said: “The ‘AGONIES – Diamantis collection is of particular importance for today’s Cyprus, as it reflects deep experiences that continue to shape the collective identity of our country. In a rapidly changing world, with increasingly complex social, economic and technological challenges that test our resilience and adaptability, Diamantis’ work takes on even greater value.”

Diamantis studied in the 1920s at St Martin’s in London. He was influenced by the Byzantine tradition, but also El Greco and Picasso. “The journey of the Greek culture of our Cyprus, through Thessaloniki, to Europe and the world, is a debt owed,” Consul General of Cyprus in Thessaloniki, Konstantinos Polykarpou said.

“This exhibition sheds light in a different way on Diamantis, a painter who is rightly ranked among the leading figures of contemporary Cypriot art. Who is rightly considered the main inspirer of an entire generation of artists and the teacher of all those who followed in his creative artistic footsteps,” President of the Anastasios G. Leventis Foundation, which exhibits his most famous work, Loukia Chadjigavriel said.

“At the same time, it gives us the opportunity to get to know other aspects of this multifaceted personality and to detect the deeper messages hidden in his ‘Anxieties’ – such as love for the homeland, the mother, the place, the future.”

“Half a century later, in the midst of a burning Middle East, Adamantios Diamantis’ Agonies, which are now presented at the Museum of Byzantine Culture, become topical, universal and timeless; and show again that Cyprus remains between East and West, a rock of stability in a shaky sea and the Cypriots are inextricably linked to their homeland,” Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Museum of Byzantine Culture Charalambos Bakirtzis said.

Former General Director of the Museum of Byzantine Culture Dr Agathoniki Tsilipakou focussed on the content of the paintings. “In all the presented works of the series Agonies, the woman-mother is the protagonist and motherhood is emphasised. The figures of Diamantis are rendered in an ideal and symbolic way, with the unrealistic use of colours, referring to figures of Byzantine iconography and tradition. The painter’s agitated and moving figures, their complexes remind of infanticide scenes.

“The inhospitable landscapes of Diamantis echo the mountainous, steep landscapes of Byzantine and post-Byzantine painting. The painter expresses, simultaneously with or through the passions of the Cypriot people, the constant agony for survival, salvation and redemption, real and symbolic, the eternal agony of man who balances between life and death, while giving a transcendental and metaphysical character to his compositions.”

The exhibition presents five of the eight works in the ‘Anxieties’ series, as well as numerous drafts, offering the public an approach to his artistic journey that culminated in the final painting Anxieties Before and After. The threat in Diamantis’ ‘Agonies’ is not depicted, but is felt, implied; for this reason, his works are both topical and timeless, opening a dialogue on the critical issues of displacement and uncertainty of our time.

Visitors to the exhibition can also watch an excerpt from the new episode of the PIO’s successful film series Art in the City, which is dedicated to Diamantis.

AGONIES – Diamantis will remain open to the public until May 31 at the Museum of Byzantine Culture (2 Stratou Avenue, Thessaloniki).