Marina Karella

MARINA KARELLA (Athens, July 17, 1940).
"Interior", 1988.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated on the back.
Measurements: 122 x 96 cm; 142 x 116 cm (frame).

The work we present here clearly belongs to Karella's most atmospheric and poetic stage. Several characteristic features of her language can be observed: diffuse light treatment: the lamps appear wrapped in vaporous halos, almost like suspended flashes. Ambiguous and silent space: the interior looks like a hall or ceremonial room, but it is deliberately dematerialized. Cold and veiled palette: bluish grays, pearly whites and metallic reflections predominate. Interest in the metaphysical: the table with white geometric shapes creates a sense of ritual installation or symbolic still life.
In addition to her professional career, Marina Karella is known for being the wife of Prince Michael, uncle of the last king of the Hellenes, Constantine II. Although she holds no noble title, she has been considered a member of the Hellenic royal family since her marriage. She studied at the School of Fine Arts in Athens until 1963. She then continued her studies at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. She was a student of notable artists such as Oskar Kokoška and her compatriot, Giánnis Tsaroúchis.