I remember how the Parisians, extremely picky about public art, admired her work in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in the heart of the City of Light, in a periodical open-air solo exhibition in 2005. Eliza Goulandris on Andros, summer 2014. , there was a reason to get to know an outstanding Greek woman from the Diaspora, who became famous all over the world for her sculptures and paintings, one of which we have on Kotsia Square. “I am Greek and I feel Greek from head to toe. This is my place, this is my blood,” he told us then, proud that the retrospective had such a big impact on the country where he was born. A little later, her 16 sculptures at the Cultural Center of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation in 2018 were very much loved by the public, especially by young people.

For the time being, however, Wari will show some of his work en plein air in New York. At 82, she remains active, productive and, of course, cosmopolitan. In collaboration with the Nohra Haim Gallery and the Park Avenue Foundation, 12 large sculptures are featured along the iconic Park Avenue from 53rd to 62nd Streets. The exhibition will open at the end of April and run until October. The artist, who had a Greek father (the Vari region of Attica was named after her family) and a Hungarian mother, studied in Britain and France, where she was influenced by cubism and surrealism.

At first he turned to figurative painting, but soon began experimenting with sculpture as well. She is inspired by the power of simple forms like Cycladic figurines and prefers marble that reminds her of Greece. But he never gave up drawings, watercolors and collages, for which he has a special love. Since 1976, she has been married to the world famous Colombian sculptor Fernando Botero. They spend several months of the year at their home on the island of Evia, where they both have workshops. Elegant, stylish, with an amazing sense of humor and a deep love for Greece (she even donated a commemorative painting, which is the first piece of art to welcome people to Eleftherios Venizelos airport), she has never been honored nationally in her homeland. Maybe it’s a debt we should think about…