Belinda Leontsinis draws on her expertise in art, illustration and ceramic-making to produce finely detailed, boldly coloured works. Based in South Africa, bolstered by trips to Greece, her images are influenced by the bold light, diverse plant species, people and striking landscapes of the Mediterranean, whether experienced at the southern tip of Africa, or in the similar climate of Greece.
Inspiration for Kythera exhibition
Two worlds meet on Kythera (the birthplace of Aphrodite, goddess of love, pleasure, passion, lust and love) – the ancient and the modern.
A key focus is the heart of a home, the kitchen, the welcoming place, where the honoured guest can be assured of parea, hospitality, and a carefully brewed cup of coffee with a curly koulouria biscuit. Shelves display their treasured collections of contemporary ceramics, heirloom china – chipped or not – fragments of marble, shells, and rusty coffee tins with flamboyant retro packaging. The komboloi beads, and other familiar objects that bring comfort to the mind and eye.
Belinda has a fascination with faces – whether glimpsed on an ancient coin, shard of pottery, or in the streetscapes of contemporary Greece.
Colour is celebrated, carmine reds, saffron yellows, grass greens – but mostly the king of colours, blue in all its moods. Belinda’s works reflect the vibrant azure sea, contrasted against white architecture and imbued with sunlight. The light on Greek islands is clearer, brighter, harder, pastels wash away in this heat.
Belinda also incorporates shapes inspired by ancient pillars and ruins, into her work, as well as emblematic Mediterranean plants, fruits and flowers, such as lemons, olive and laurel leaves.
