Rinos Stefani’s paintings titled RE-AL draws inspiration from the history of Cyprus. RE-AL refers to medieval Cypriot rebel Re Alexis and at the same time to real history. Hence, the artist reflects on contemporary Cypriot society and puts into question the established history. In these paintings Stefani used the green military canvas and he perforates the surface with a red-hot metal. The central element of the compositions is the cruciform dancing figure, a familiar motif of his work.
Rinos Stefani’s RE-AL paintings
Rinos Stefani’s did a series of happenings – Praxeis and installations titled “Human Targets”. He also did paintings on the theme of cross-shaped syrtaki dancers. These two are the progenitors of his latest RE-AL creations. Stefani turns the green military canvas into a literal battle field. He perforates the surface of the canvas with holes which he inflicts with a red-hot metal, substitute to a machine gun. The traumatic shots penetrate the material substance of the work itself. The physical and esoteric substance of the white crucified figure is delineated with a bold, gestural expressionism.
The figure hovers between a harsh political and economic reality on the one hand and a utopia on the other. Between dignity and humiliation, life and death.
He flanks the figure with crosses which he makes out of cloth stitches. So he surrounds the crucified figure by pain and agony. This is schematically cast on the heads of an anonymous populace below. It passes from the earthly to the celestial: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama savachthani? “
Dr. Nadia Anaxagorou, “Recto – Verso: From Byzantium to Modernism”, Evagoras Lanitis Centre, Limassol. 20 March – 8 May 2015.
