Nature dominates her visual universe: landscapes in bloom, trees full of fruits, two or three chickens in a meadow, goats grazing carelessly, a small cat under a tree, birds resting on a branch. The person is absent or his presence is barely noticeable, almost suggestive. It is expected, since the specific works of Aphroditis Papadoulis were born during a pandemic and self-isolation. She, of course, did not expect that the coronavirus would “teach” her how isolated modern man is from the natural environment and how much he needs it – both for his well-being and for his own survival …

Born in Metaxourgeio, she lived near Vathis Square as a child—“only stench and crime outside”—but as a teenager, she was fortunate enough to move with her parents to Dionysus. He has great memories. “I remember the smell of pine when it was raining. Cyclamen that grew everywhere in autumn. In winter with a lot of snow and merciless cold. Such a sweet spring and cool summer – the heat was unfamiliar then. The freedom offered to me to roam the woods and play on dirt roads with other children, to run and ride a bike until my mother called us, was unique. At that time, in the early 80s, there were very few residents in this area.”

Then the homeless dog Scooby entered the life of the family. “He often took us on adventures with his liveliness, but he was the epitome of a compassionate dog. It “revealed” me as a person. Where there was fear and darkness, there is hope and romance.” Then cats were added – in the house and in the garden. The cat became for Aphrodite a “priestess” and a muse. And when visual creativity became her path – she studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts, in the workshop of Yannis Psychopadis – all these experiences and emotions began to be captured on canvas. “The chickens and goats in my painting have as much value as places and people,” she usually says.

Such works can be seen these days – and until March 4 – in the Estudio gallery in Kifisia (Kiriazi, 9). Full of beauty! “I am afraid that this beauty of nature will not touch the whole world. For example, not all Greeks love animals. Or they don’t understand what it means to burn a forest. What still gives me hope and joy is the presence throughout Greece of volunteers, people who donate. However, goodness must be multiplied, our society must be better organized so that we can effectively protect the natural resources of our country. We still have a lot of work to do. But nature compensates us. He always rewards us…”