NEW YORK – Greek-Australian artist Anastasia Contoguris has created an extraordinary body of work in her artistic career. Her powerful sculptures are inspired by one of the darkest periods in human history, the Holocaust. She took the time to speak to The National Herald about her work, inspiration, and family.
It may seem strange to some that an artist who happens to be a Greek Orthodox Christian, would be drawn to this difficult subject, but when asked why you a Christian would want to sculpt these images of the Holocaust, Contoguris replied, “Why not?” The question made her angry and she said, “I was born a human, too.”
Contoguris explained that after having spent time in Israel, the more upset she became with anti-Semitism in the world. When words failed, she turned to sculpting, noting that it doesn’t matter “whether you are Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, we are human.”
The work began slowly. Contoguris is a self-taught artist, an autodidact. She studied International Relations and Management at university and began sculpting in 2000. A foundry in Greece cast her sculptures in bronze and helped her with the patinas and colors. The pieces are very large and heavy weighing several hundred kilos. Contoguris noted that the work is a form of expression and the pieces were not intended for sale. As the collection grew, it became clear that the work should be exhibited. With the help of her husband Petros Contoguris, the work has now been exhibited internationally, most notably in a solo exhibition at Beth Torah Synagogue in Toronto, Canada, at the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Center in 2013. The exhibition was part of the 33rd annual Holocaust Education Week.
The reaction to the sculptures was overwhelming. The artist told TNH that the people were stunned, one woman fainted, and one Holocaust survivor looked into the gallery and could not enter, she was so moved by what she saw even at a distance, she returned days later to view the sculptures with her family. The exhibition was scheduled to run in Toronto for one week but was extended to ten days as so many people wanted to see the incredibly moving works. Contoguris noted that in Toronto, it was the first time all the works were displayed so they all could be viewed together. She was humbled by the people’s reaction.
Contoguris also made 600 bronze stars with the names of the children, their ages, and where they were killed on the back of each one. One woman found her uncle’s name, Contoguris told TNH. The stars are available for $100 with all the proceeds donated to Save a Child’s Heart, an Israeli NGO that provides pediatric heart surgery to poor children around the world.
At the 6th Beijing International Biennale of Art in September-October 2015, Contoguris represented Australia with her sculpture Ghetto Child as part of that year’s Memory and Dream theme. Tao Qin, Deputy Secretary General of the China Artists Association and Chief Curator of the event singled out Ghetto Child as one of two works that “enormously overwhelmed her” as quoted in the September 22, 2015 article “Artistic Appeal” in China Daily.
There are plans to take the exhibition to Vienna in 2018 for the anniversary of Kristallnacht on November 9. So far, the work has been self-financed but the artist and her husband hope they can find a sponsor to bring the sculptures to the US and perhaps find a museum that would become a permanent home for the sculptures where they could be seen by the most people. Contoguris noted that the Australian mission to the United Nations has expressed interest in showing her work at the UN. The cost of transporting the large, heavy sculptures and insuring them in the US is very high. For now, the works are stored in Athens.
When asked about her family, Contoguris mentioned that her father’s side is from Kavala and her mother’s from Epirus. The artist and her husband both attended ACS Athens, though at different times. The couple has four children, Julietta, Nicholas, Alexia, and Amalia, of whom they are very proud. Contoguris shared her son’s school project in which he interviewed Eric Mayer, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor. The resulting paper was presented in New Jersey high school social studies classes where Mayer spoke about his experiences during World War II. The proud mother also shared daughter Alexia’s charming poem about her heritage.
More information is available online at: www.anastasiasculptures.com.
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