Anna Kiparis

My work investigates the relationship between nature and human-made interiors, focusing mainly on sacred spaces. Drawing on the interplay between observation and creation, I explore how natural forms infiltrate the constructed environment, embedding elements of the natural world into the sanctity of architectural interiors. In my paintings, church interiors are adorned with ornamental patterns and depictions of animals, transforming walls and ceilings into living tapestries where nature is interwoven with human craftsmanship. In this way, the decorative frescoes and murals of churches become the "skin" of these sacred spaces, bearing the imprint of the artist's gaze upon nature and serving as a membrane between the spiritual and the earthly. My work invites contemplation of the interconnectedness between organic life and human creativity, suggesting that observing nature is not merely an aesthetic act but a sacred practice that reshapes the spaces in which we dwell and reflect. My architectural education during the post-Soviet period exposed me to a wide range of disciplinary approaches and an understanding that an architect is not only a technical practitioner but also an artist with a deep sensitivity to space dynamics. Through my involvement in theatre and museum projects, I discovered an approach to working with space as an active medium that reflects and conveys historical and personal memories. Each is like a communal room, layered over time with paint, wallpaper, and newspaper clippings, capable of holding traces of diverse eras and the lives that have dwelled within it. In my work, I examine the interaction of narratives and figures from different times whose meetings generate a sense of presence and continuity. Art allows me to speak of space and architecture as phenomena that endure human time, reflecting it through fragile imprints of the past. In an era of continuous conflicts, including heated wars that have affected my own country, I need to return to the origins and reflect on what we have lost. Drawing on pre-religious and canonical texts, my work raises the question of how religion today could help restore the value of human life rather than serving as a tool of ideology. On my canvases, one can see interiors of temples and churches, covered with fragments of frescoes with people and animals who, as they witness, embody the image of the ruin as a symbol of transient yet continually reviving memory.