WOMEN. Greek Female Artists in the Alpha Bank Collection

What the publication includes

The publication features 226 representative works created by the 145 Greek female artists that are represented in the Alpha Bank Art Collection, over a period from the late 19th century to the beginning of the 21st.

Its aim is to showcase women’s contribution to every aspect of artistic creation, despite the obstacles and discrimination they faced over time in this field. At the same time, the publication underlines the multifaceted and demanding role of women today.

The publication includes greetings form art historian and Director of the National Gallery - Alexandros Soutsos Museum Syrago Tsiara, the President of the International Association of Corporate Collections of Contemporary Art (IACCCA) Delphine Munro, and Alpha Bank Group CEO Vassilis Psaltis.

A publication dedicated to Greek female artists

The publication was created on the occasion of the exhibition “WOMEN. Greek Female Artists in the Alpha Bank Collection” organised by the Alpha Bank Art Collection at the Banknote Museum of Ionian Bank in Corfu, from 08.10.2024 to 07.09.2025.

It’s a more comprehensive version of the exhibition catalogue “WOMEN. Greek Female Artists in the Alpha Bank Collection – Exhibition catalogue: Corfu, 2024”, which includes the 46 works by 41 female artists featured in the exhibition.

The publication is structured in 5 thematic sections. The aim is not to place the work of female artists in an artificial chronological sequence that focuses on a linear overview of individual cases. Instead, through this structure, the intention is to frame their accomplishments in every field of artistic creation within the concurrent educational, social and political achievements of women in general.

• 1st section: Women in the world of art – The first steps (late 19th – early 20th century)
  Female artists’ first serious attempts to engage with art are presented. The milestone date for Greece was 1894, when women were officially allowed to study at the Athens School of Fine Arts at a separate department from men. Some important representatives of this period are Eleni Prosalenti, Thalia Flora-Karavia, Aglaia Papa and photographer Nelly’s.
  
  
• 2nd section: Painting – From representation to abstraction
  The section takes us to the 20th century that in art was characterised by the movement of abstraction. Although this new trend arrived in Greece with some delay, many female artists embraced it, while others continued to consistently cultivate the realist idiom.
  
  
• 3rd section: Printmaking – Traditional techniques and experimentation with new media
  The section examines women's involvement in printmaking. The shift towards printmaking emerged from the desire of female artists to expand their expressive means and translate their concerns and themes into a new medium that presented different technical challenges and demands.
  
  
• 4th section: Sculpture and installations. Innovative explorations
  The interest is focused on women's presence in sculpture and the broader field of art installations. The section presents Greek female artists that contributed in shaping and developing these art forms.
  
  
• 5th section: Contemporary art – Revamping the visual arts landscape
  The last section showcases women's presence in the early 21st century art scene. At the same time, the radical changes brought about by the new digital era are presented, along with the new expression forms, the renewal of traditional techniques and the shaping of contemporary themes.

The publication concludes with brief biographical notes of the 145 Greek female artists.

Edited by: Despina Tsourgianni, Georgia Mazi
Publisher: Alpha Bank
Place and time: Athens, 2024
Dimensions: 24 x 29 cm
Pages: 268
Cover type: Paperback
Greek ISBN: 978-618-5072-54-4
English ISBN: 978-618-5072-55-1