Documenta Kassel News

i draw my inspiration from an inner and spiritual experience of reality. in my approach to nature, animals and human beings, my focus is on the interior rather than the exterior appearance.

much of contemporary art seems hyped: how to create yet another new artistic perspective with market potential. to me art is about slow, wordless visual poetry.

those who really look, really see.

contemporary artists are expected and encouraged to develop an easily recognizable personal style and subject. and to stick with it, like a brand name.

for me, most works originate from my subconscious intuition. they determine their own subject and style. the sensitive observer however will have no difficulty perceiving their cohesion on a deeper level.

for cv and some more philosophy please visit my website.

Website: frank waaldijk visual artist
Contact email: info@fwaaldijk.nl

Thomai Kontou

CURRICULUM VITAE

Thomai Kontou learned sketching from 1971 to 1978 in Athens, in the Vrassida Vlahopoulos and Theodoros Drossos ateliers. She was taught painting by Yannis Tsarouhis, while she learned the Fresco Technique by Dimitris Kostopoulos.
She is continuously present in the Artistic area since 1973 with 22 individual exhibitions and has taken part in 257 group shows in Greece and abroad. She participated in 11 BIENNALES: 1996 in Belgrade, 1998 in Mexico, 1999 and 2001 in Pisa � Italy and in 2002 and 2004 in Poland, 2005 in Nikcic - Serbia and Ankara � Turkey. 2006 in Victoria � Canada, and in the International Spanish Flu Mail Art Biennial in Hungary. 2007 in �2 Medial Art Biennial� in London, England. 2007 it is one from the two Greek attendances, that took part in the program “Scenes and Sounds of My City” that was co-organised by the central UNESCO in Paris and the Sharjah Biennial 8, the United Arab Emirates. She was selected by the Internal Committee it takes part in Florence Biennale 2007
Her works are influenced by the Aegean Sea, its stones and shells, by the Universal flows and the Angels� Plasmas.
Works of her can be found in private collections in Greece, Cyprus, Germany, USA, Italy, Japan, Spain, Brazil. They can also be found in the Navy�s collection in the �Averoff� warship and in the following Museums: �Transparent Museum of Art� in Belgrade and the Post �Denmark Museum of Art� in Copenhagen. Also in Sgourda�s Collection �Contemporary artistic �ventail� in Athens, and Beijing Natural Culture Center, in China.
The Greek Navy has dedicated to her the 53d special edition of �Navy Intellectual Culture�, while she has been included in the artistic sector of the �Navy Encyclopedia�, in the �Painters meeting� folio, and the Greek Artists� Lexicon edited by �Melissa�.
Under the Auspices of the Organization �Cultural Capitol of Europe � Thessaloniki �97�, her folio �Aegean Shells� was edited in June 1997. It contained 10 cards from her paintings.
In 1998 she sketched the scenery and costumes for the play �Our own yard� by Vangelis Colonas, which was performed in Larissa in cooperation with the �Theater of Thessaly�. She is organized and she is the curator of the << 1st international mail art exhibition in Greece>> in Elassona and Athens.
Now she organises having the figurative assiduity, the �1st mail art Biennale in Greece�, the �mail art for refugees in Greece�, in collaboration with the Greek Council for refugees. As �The Argonautic Expedition mail art� with the Charta of Culture.

Website: Thomai Kontou Art
Contact email: uxa53@yahoo.gr

Husband and wife Marc and Gillie Schattner are international award winning artists and Archibald Prize Finalists. Gillie, born in London in 1965 and Marc born in Melbourne in 1961 have been painting together for the last 15 years and have exhibited their art all over the world. Most of their artwork appears as diptychs. They work collaboratively on the same art piece combining their talent to arrive at a single vision. Every aspect of the art piece has both their minds and hands on it, reflecting their individual passions and influences in life.

Marc Schattner studied Graphic Design at Swinburne, Melbourne. Gillie Schattner is a self-taught artist. They have had solo exhibitions in Sydney, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and Belgium.

solo exhibitions
2007 Modern Addiction Libby Edwards Melbourne
2006 Creature Comforts Libby Edwards Sydney
2005 Life Can’t Wait Darling Park Gallery Sydney (Travelling exhibition around Australia)
1999 Sex in the City New York
1996 Circus New York
1994 Expats The Substation Singapore
1993 A Blue Eye View The Substation Singapore
1992 Eat Me Hilton Hotel Singapore
1990 Friends Hong Kong
1984 Travels Belguim

selected group exhibitions
2007 New Paintings Libby Edwards Brisbane
2007 Mosman Art Prize Finalist Mosman Art Gallery
2007 Water Libby Edwards Brisbane
2006 Blake Exceptions Exhibition Chase Contemporary & Tribal Arts Gallery, Sydney
2006 New Paintings Libby Edwards Melbourne
2006 Archibald Prize Finalist Art Gallery of NSW Sydney
2006 Corporate Art Burleigh Queensland
2000 Mamaroneck Artist Guild New York
1998 Mamaroneck Artist Guild New York
1997 Mamaroneck Artist Guild New York
1997 Asian Scenes Singapore

awards and publications
2006 ARCHIBALD PRIZE FINALIST Art Gallery of New South Wales 2006 (Portrait of John Konrads and Black Dog)
1999 MAMARONECK ART PRIZE (finalist)
1998 Cannes Advertising Festival for Scotch Brite and Ben Wear
1994 SINGAPORE CREATIVE CIRCLE ART PRIZE (winner)

published books
Zac�s PB (Hodder Headline),
Wizards of Willow (SNP Publishing)
The Happiest Day of My Life (Random House)
The Perfect Gift (Random House)

collections
Black Dog Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital Sydney
Darling Park, Sussex Street Sydney
Royal Adelaide Hospital
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
The Hilton Group Singapore

commissioned work
Hilton Hotel Singapore, Macdonalds Corporate Headquarters Singapore, Dr Martens, Mercedes, Friends of the Earth,
The Philharmonic Orchestra, Australian Red Cross Blood Service, Smile Foundation, Black Dog Institute

articles
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, Opinion Polls by Elizabeth Fortescue, September 5, 2007
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, Marc and Gillie Schattner Exhibition, June 25, 2006
THE AUSTRALIAN, Look who’s been framed now, March 17, 2006
BAYSIDE BULLETIN, Make the most of each moment, 14 November 2006
THIS IS A WAR.COM November 2006
DAILY MERCURY, Sit back, relax and check out these two books, 4 September 2006
AUSTRALIAN BOOKSELLER & PUBLISHER, The Happiest Day of My Life, October 2006
BALLARAT COURIER The Happiest Day of My Life, 19 October 2006
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, Life can’t wait for organ donors and nor can art, May 11, 2005

Website: Gillie and Marc Schattner - Australian Contemporary Artists- Sydney Australia
Contact email: studio@gillieandmarc.com

Education:
National Taiwan University of Science and Technology

Statement:
Living in an era full of visual and digital products, it’s hard to rid oneself of some spray of this big, kaleidoscopic wave, which becomes my main source of inspiration and makes me start pursuing an adventure in the art world I never dreamed of.

Years of formal training of physics and engineering influence my artistic vision and judgment naturally, but not without the aesthetic impact of M. C. Escher, William Morris, abstract impressionism that help me to develop a style based on structure, pattern, geometry and abstract, the strongest proof of which shows in my Energetic Baby series.

The more I do my art, the better I understand what my works really mean to me: they give me strength to believe in myself, to view things in different perspectives and define them in a brand new language that needs no translation but is full of free interpretations.

Website: A loft of my own
Contact email: ianyang@aloftofmyown.com