PENNY DIKA-KORNETI, Painter
Please click on the images to view them in bigger size. Copyright art and photos © 1997 Penny Dika-Kornetti
BIOGRAPHY
1945 Born in Thessaloniki where she lives and works.
1965-1968 Studied graphic ants at the Athens Technological Institute in the A. Tassos studio with P. Grawalos and I. Dekoulakos as her teachers.
1969-1971 Post-graduate apprenticeship with Ingrid Pohier at the Textiles Studio Ants Academy in Munich
1972-1974 Taught graphic ants (lithography and printing) at the Doxiadis School and decorative applications at the Eukleides School and Ecole de Beaux-Ants in Thessaloniki
Since 1971 she has worked as a graphic antist.
Since 1974 she has painted on a professional basis.
She is a member of EETE (Greek Chamber of Ant).
She Is also a member of SKETBE (Antists Association of Northern Greece)
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ONE-MAN SHOWS 1973
Demonstration of batik, Athens.
1974 Livadiote´s Club, Thessaloniki.
1976 GOETHE Institute, Thessaloniki.
1978 GOETHE Institute, Thessaloniki.
1981 Art Gallery of the Panhellenic Cultural Movement, Thessaloniki.
1983 'Lytra Gallery, Larissa.
1983-84 Panselinos Gallery, Thessaloniki.
1985 Panselinos Gallery, Thessaloniki.
1987 "Gallery K7", Thessaloniki.
1990 Institut Francais, Thessaloniki.
1990 "Techni", Kilkis.
1991 "Mini Galeria, Thessaloniki.
1993 "Lola Nikolaou" Gallery, Thessaloniki.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1971 · Poster exhibition for the 37th International Fair, Thessaloniki.
"MERLIN" Gallery. Athens. "Techni" Gallery, Thessaloniki September 1972
1974 · Exhibition of paintings in memory of Nikos Fotakis, "KOCHLIAS" Gallery, Thessaloniki.
1977-80 · 16 entries/appearances at the "Diagonios" Liffle Gallery Thessaloniki.
1978 · Municipality of Athens Cultural Centre, Athens. 'Painting and Sculpture in Thessaloniki', organized by "Techni" at the Institut Francais, Thessaloniki, June 1978.
1979 "24 Northern Greek Painters",, organized by PPK (Panhellenic Cultural Movement) at the Art & Culture Centre, Athens.
1979-80 . 'Group Exhibition", organized by PPK, in Katerini, Veria, Naoussa, Kozani, Florina, Serres,. Kavala, Xanthi.
1980 . Arts & Letters Club of Northern Greece, Thessaloniki.
"18 Thessalonian Painters of the Post-war Generation
1940-55' organized by 'Techni" at the Institut Francais, Thessaloniki.
'23 Painters from Thessaloniki", 'Syllogi' Gallery, Athens.
1981 Panhellenic Exhibition of Painting & Engraving by Young Painters, XV Demetria Festival, Thessaloniki.
1984 Society for Macedonian Studies Gallery, XIX Demetria Festival. Thessaloniki.
1985 2nd Exhibition by Artists' Association of Northern Greece, Foyer of Prefecture Building, Kavala.
· Exhibition by Artists' Association of Northern Greece, Nicosia, Cyprus.
1986 · Exhibition for Amnesty International, Macedonian Art Society "Techni", Thessaloniki.
· "Artists' Association of Northern Greece", organized by Anatolia College (100 Years), Boston,
'Artists' Association of Northern Greece', organized by Anatolia College (100 Years), New York.
"Anatomies', Porto Carras, Sithonia (group exhibition).
1987 · Society for Macedonian Studies Galley, organized by SKETBE.
1988 "Modern Greek Art', organized by SKETBE, National Galley, Athens.
· 4th Exhibition by SKETBE, Pavilion No.2, International Fair, Thessaloniki.
1989 "Plastic Artists', Faculty of Technology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
· 5th Exhibition by SKETBE, University of Thessaly, Volos
· Exhibition of the Thessaloniki Municipal Art Gallery
Collection, "KATSIGRA Museum', Municipality of Larissa.
· 6th Exhibition by SKETBE, Society for Macedonian Studies Gallery.
· "Thessalonian Artists" (Plastic Arts), Municipal Art Gallery, Thessaloniki.
· Poster Exhibition, Vafopouho Cultural Centre, Thessaloniki.
1990 · SKETBE Exhibition, Xanthi Polytechnic.
· SKETBE Exhibition, "Rythmos" Galley, Komotini.
1991 SKETBE Exhibition, Society for Macedonian Studies Gallery.
1992 "Konschthaus Beimengel", Luxembourg.
· "DBB Konigswinter-Thomasberg', Bonn, Germany.
· "Miskolci Galley" Group exhibition with Hugarian artists - Hungay.
COMMENDATIONS - DISTINCTIONS
1972 3 commendations in the Panhellenic Poster Competition at the 37th International Fair, Thessaloniki.
1976 3rd Prize in the Panhellenic Competition to design an emblem for ETBA (Hellenic Industrial Development Bank).
1978 2nd Prize in the Panhellenic Competition to design the Programme of the State Theatre of Northern Greece.
1982 Distinction in design purchases at the 1st Panhellenic Jewelley Competition of EOMMEX (Hellenic Organisation for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises).
1983 1st Prize in the Panhellenic Textile Design Competition, TEXTILIA. 1983.
1985 1st Prize in the Panhellenic Poster Competition for the XX Demetria Festival, Thessaloniki.
1986 Commendation in the Panhellenic Poster Competition at the 2nd BIENNALE in Thessaloniki,
1987 2nd Prize for the mural on the Water-tank at Panaghia Faneromeni, Thessaloniki.
COLLECTIONS
Works by Korneti exist in both private and public collections, such as those of the Municipality of Thessaloniki (1985), the Municipality of Triandria (1987), the GOETHE Institute in Thessaloniki (1976), the Society for Macedonian Studies Galley (1988). and the Macedonian Ant Society 'Techni' (1987).
One of her works, a donation, is in The Courrier Galley of Art (192 Orange St., Manchester. N.H. 03104 U.S.A.) (1987).
A mural by her exists in a room at the New Thessaloniki Conservatoire, 58 Tsimiski St.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Sfyridis, Pericles, "The 'Diagonios' Artists: a Presentation.' "Techni" series, no.10. Thessaloniki: Diagonios Publications, 1985.
2. Kazazi, Sophia, "Greek Artists: 10 Years of Critical Reviews, 1974-84". 'Techni" series. Thessaloniki: Diagonios Publications, 1985.
3. "Thessalonian Painters of the Post-war Generation, 1940-1955', Macedonian Art Society 'Techni".
4. "One Hundred Exhibitions at the 'Diagonios' Little Gallery", Koskino ('Diagonios' Art Supplement). Thessaloniki: Summer, 1980.
5. Dissertation by Maria Zourna-Polytimi Panagaki on the work of Penny DIKA-KORNETI (Modern Greek Art in the 19th and 20th Centuries), School of Architecture, Faculty of Technology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Supervisors: A. Sachini, A Goulaki. 4th Year, January 1987.
6. There are a lot of references to her creation in many newspapers and magazines as, "Thessaloniki", "Makedonia", "Elinikos Vorras', "Nea", "Rizospastis". 'Kathimerini". "Who is Who", "SL' etc.
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TEXT 1
The chief characteristics of the works of Penny Dika-Korneti from the period 1991-1992 are the predominance of large surfaces, boldness of composition, a diminution of her tendency to be decorative, the frequent appearance of the diagonal, and the relief features on her surfaces. During this two-year period her quest to find means of combining various materials of different textures with familiar traditional ones becomes more intensive. We note that forms are frequently rendered by the fastening of plastic fibbers, pliable pieces of manufactured material in which the plastic and colors have been previously treated. Every work is executed assiduously, and constitutes an arena in which the artist struggles partly with the particular materials she is using and partly with the need to give shape to the inner states which spring from her unconscious and seek expression, emerging from a state of obscurity and flux to crystallize into a distinct solid structure. The agonizing expression of these inner tendencies continues to be combated by the stabilizing role of color, which retains its lyrical characteristics, so familiar to us from the painter's earlier periods.
The horror vacui which in the past led to the accumulation or repetition of many formal elements has now given way to a more austere composition consisting of large areas of color, thus heightening the intensity of the diagonal, which spreads over the surface in a supple and protrusive or bold gesticulator manner, and also highlighting the insertion of the few warm colors which intermittently but decisively raise their voices. Her brushstrokes, now freer and more generous, concentrate at the center of the picture or a little away from it. At other times in their place we find a barrage of various materials standing on the surface which again in a concentrated manner release their energy from the same points in the picture. When pure color is used its brilliance electrifies the limp masses of the distinctively melancholic atmosphere of the whole. In quite a few cases we can recognize warm and mature tonalities akin to those of German Expressionism or the early Kandinsky. The tendency of the composition to expand outwards is conveyed as much by its linear elements as by the areas of color, when these function as a plane of action for the linear elements.
More internal now, Korneti's artistic idiom seeks to express a personal world, as it is shaped by the psychic vibration and aesthetic interventions experienced by the modern artist.
KATIA KILESSOPOULOU
Art Historian
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TEXT 2
In her painting Korneti flirts sometimes with representational tendencies and sometimes abstract currents, while stylistically she seems to waver t the use of expressionist characteristics and that of features associated with lyrical abstraction any event, what clearly stands especially in her earlier en ours, is the more personal direction she takes, in which she successfully attempts a poetic remodeling of visual reality. In the latest efforts of Dika K we have an increasingly greater use of abstract forms, which some cases are accompanied the combination of linear chromatic formulations. A in some of her most characteristic works it is possible to tell her inspiration is drawn from visual reality, it is always abstract elements which set the tone, tending towards lyrical abstraction. Indeed, it must be pointed out that in some of her latest efforts her use of circular themes lends her pictures new dimensions of expression. Another determinative element in Korneti's artistic idiom is the usually atectonic organization of her works, which gives them a curious sense of movement. Similarly, through her use of subdued colors, all kinds of formal elements, indeterminate space and limited linear subjects, Korneti gives us compositions which stand out for their inwardness and their more poetic voice. And in her most important works the emphasis on indeterminate space and inwardness of color has the effect of accentuating the poetic voice of her artistic idiom. Compared with her earlier efforts, through reference to an albeit schematized visual reality and through stressed color contrasts, her latest works, clearly more marked by a spirit of abstraction, stand out for their greater emphasis on purely artistic values and the poetic nature of her statements.
CHRYSANTHOS CHRISTOU
Professor in History of Art University of Athens, Academician
