Secretum Hortus by Georgia Michaelides Saad

Gloria Gallery presents the work of Georgia Michaelides Saad. The painting exhibition will be opened on Friday the 20th of April at 19.30 by Mr. Nikos Tornaritis Parliamentary Representative for the Democratic Rally. The exhibition will remain open until the 7th of May 2018.

Rationale

“My primary theme is the exploration of natural forms, in particular, flowers. Flowers to me are representative of the microcosm in relation to the macrocosm, the finite as expressive of the infinite. I use the form of the flower as a fragment to imply that it is part of something which extends beyond the borders of the frame, which transcends the frame and attempts to evoke the infinite. I paint the flower in great detail and I enlarge it so as to transmit the feeling of awe and mystery which I experience before even the minutest forms of nature. The title “Secretum Hortus” refers to a secret world which is invisible and also infinite and hides behind the external appearance of the flower.”

Georgia Michaelides Saad was born in Limassol, Cyprus. She lived in South Africa from 1968 to 1996 when she returned to Cyprus where she has been living since. She obtained a BAFine Arts Honours, (1972- 1976) at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. She later obtained a Higher Diploma in Education at the same university (1977) and an MAFine Arts in painting (1990 – 1996) at the University of South Africa, Pretoria. She was awarded the Robin Aldwinckle Merit Bursary at the University of South Africa in 1994. She will be taking an MA in History and Theory of Art at the Cyprus University of Technology, for the academic year 2018- 2019.

Georgia Michaelides Saad has worked as an Art teacher at secondary school level in South Africa and Cyprus (1978 – 2017). Her works can be found in the public collections of the Ministry of Education and Culture Nicosia, the Municipal Art Gallery Nicosia and the Municipal Art Gallery, Limassol in Cyprus. Since 1976 she has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions in South Africa, Cyprus, France and China. In 2017 she participated in the Beijing Biennale, “The Silk Road and World’s Civilizations: The 7th Beijing International Art Biennale, China 2017” at the National Art Museum of China. Her participating painting Iris Bostrensis, Silk Road was chosen by the National Art Museum of China for their permanent collection. She is a member of the Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts (EKATE).

Publications featuring her art work

• The Silk Road and World Civilizations: The album of the seventh Beijing International Art Biennale, China 2017. 2017. Compiled by China Artists Association. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.
• Ancient and medieval parallels in contemporary Cypriot art. 2014. Copyright for the book: Municipality of Limassol. Copyright for the text: Nadia Anaxagorou.
• 50 Χρόνια ΕΚΑΤΕ. 2014. Λευκωσία: bookworm publication.
• Ένα Εικαστικό Ταξίδι στα ποιήματα του Κ.Π. Καβάφη. 2013. Επιμέλεια και πρόλογος: Γκλόρια Κασσιανίδου. Λευκωσία: Εκδόσεις Αιγαίον.
• Lemesos 2009: Recent Visual Trends and Perspectives. 2009. Limassol. Chamber of Fine Arts Limassol Municipality.
• Enlargement of the European Union: Celebrating accession 2004. 2004 London: International Systems and Communications in association with the European Commission’s Directorate – General for Enlargement
• Cypriot artists of the 3rd Millennium. 2002. Nicosia: Zampelas Art
• A directory of South African contemporary art: Volume 1 painting 1997/1998.1997. Stanford: Contemporary Arts Publishers in Association with Africus Institute for Contemporary art.

Her own Publication

Saad, G. 1996. Intimations of infinity: exploring transcendence in landscape painting. MAFA dissertation, University of South Africa, Pretoria.

Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday: 10.30-12.45 a.m. and 5.30 – 8.00p.m.
Saturday: 10.30-12.45p.m.