biography
Rea Stavropoulos
  • 1953 Born in Athens, Greece. British nationality.
  • 1955 Moves to London, England, with family. Returns to Greece every Summer.
  • 1995 Moves to Florence, Italy, with family.
  • 1996 Buys a house with olive trees on a Tuscan hillside and begins to create a garden.
    Now lives and works in Florence and London.
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  • 1970-1987 Studies Art and Dance in London and Paris (St Martin's School of Art, and the Architectural Association, London; London Contemporary Dance School; London Dance Centre; L'Ecole des Beaux Arts and Joseph Russillo Dance School, Paris.); Studies Languages, Literature and Law (Italian in Florence; French at the Sorbonne; BA degree in English and French and Master's degree in French from Sussex University; Diploma in Law from City University, London; professional qualification as a Barrister, Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Painting Studies from St. Martin's School of Art).
  • 1986 begins to practise Yoga and meditation.
  • 1976 First group exhibition in Florence, Italy
  • 1985 First one-woman show in London (The Garden Gallery)
  • 1987 Sets up a studio in London and begins to work full-time as an artist. (After previously combining art with work as a teacher, translator, interpreter, tour guide and lawyer.)
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  • 1995 Sets up studio in Florence opposite 13th century Bargello museum which contains sculptures by Donatello, Michelangelo, Cellini and Giambologna.
  • 1996-2004 Begins long-term artistic dialogue and collaboration with Samuella Bianchi who has studied Teatro Danza (Dance Theatre) in Florence and is writing a thesis on Pina Bausch and Tanztheater.
  • 2004-8 Works in Florence studio with Margot Chatard and the dancers Francesca Stampone and Simona Grazzini.
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  • 1976-2003 Participates in group exhibitions in private and public galleries in England, France, Italy, Greece and Spain (including: the Gardner Arts Centre, Brighton; Brighton Museum and Art Gallery; the British Council, Athens; Camden Arts Centre; Westminster Arts Council; Drassanes, Barcelona; Musée National du Livre d'Artiste, Verderonne.)
  • 1985-2001 One-woman exhibitions: The Garden Gallery, London; The New Art Gallery, London; Lauderdale House, London; Salisbury Arts Centre, England; Enoteca dei Giraldi, Palazzo Borghese, Florence - paintings and presentation of artist's book "Thalassa"; "We Map Out Our Obsessions" - Galleria Via Larga, Florence - sponsored by Provincia di Firenze and British Institute of Florence; "A Walk in the Woods - an artist's journey through language and landscape" - talk and slide presentation given at The Harold Acton Library, British Institute of Florence and presentation and exhibition of artist's book "A Walk in The Woods"; Loft de Arte Actuel (LARAC), Barcelona - "Jardines Secretos": watercolour and video works and collaboration with Greek dancer Kalitsa Orfanouthaki for a unique performance.
  • Member and Trustee of the Women's Art Library, London. Contributor to "make" - the Magazine of Women's Art, London
  • 2003 Publishes "Dance, Dreams and Journeys - fragments of a life" an artist's book which presents recurring themes in the artist's work.
  • 2004 "Juego de dados" (Game of Dice), exhibition at Centre Civic Ateneu Fort Pienc, Barcelona under the auspices of the European Social Forum (issues of identity/ dialogue/ multi-culturalism)
    "Flower Power" Collyer-Bristow Gallery, London
    "Spain" Collyer-Bristow gallery, London
  • 2005 "Jogo de Dados", exhibition at Casa de Cultura Mario Quintàna, Porto Alegre, Brazil
  • Collaboration with six other artists on unique artists' book "Hommage à Lewigue" presented in Porto Alegre
  • 2006 "Secret Gardens" temporary installation in Boboli Gardens, Florence
    "Secret Gardens" one woman installation and exhibition, La Corte Arte Contemporanea , Florence (exibart)
    Publication of catalogue for "Secret Gardens"
    Talk and presentation of two videos of her work at The British Institute of Florence
    Interviewed by The Florentine, issue 18 May 2006, c.f. www.theflorentine.net (page 20) Freelance arts writer for The Florentine (c.f. 2 November 2006 and 16 November 2006)
  • 2007 Interviews artists in Florence and discusses support network for artists in the city. Article for The Florentine on contemporary artists in Florence, issue 12 July 2007, c.f.  www.theflorentine.net (page 20).
    Travels to China and Hong Kong and visits gardens and the Great Wall.
    Becomes a Friend of Boboli Gardens.  Writes article for The Florentine on Boboli Gardens and The Giardino Bardini, issue 4 October 2007 c.f. www.theflorentine.net  (page 19)
    Teaches watercolour painting in Boboli and other Florentine gardens.
    Visits Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Andy Goldsworthy retrospective) and gardens in Yorkshire, Cheshire and Sussex. Visits and paints garden at Rousham.
    Paints on Greek island of Sifnos.
    Transfers plants from mother’s garden in Athens to Florence and London.
    Begins to plant a garden in London.
    Gives drawing classes in Florence studio.
    Studies fresco techniques at La Bottega del Buon Affresco in Florence.
    Begins collaboration with dancer Paola Carlucci in  Florence studio. Discussions around Calvino’s “Città invisibili”.
    Reads Rebecca Solnit’s “Wanderlust – a history of walking”.
  • 2008 Teaches drawing and painting in Florence.
    Paints frescoes at La Bottega del Buon Affresco.
    Begins  collaboration with dancer Chiara degli Innocenti in Florence studio.
    Explores research ideas for practise-based Phd in London. Meetings at Chelsea College and Goldsmith’s College and attends presentations by Research Students at University of the Arts, London.
    Visits the Gardens at Ninfa with Boboli Friends.
    Meets former student, Don Anselmo Florio, at the Monastery of Casamari.
     Painting trip to Greek islands of Simi and Koufonissi.
    Studies sculpture at The City Lit, London.
    Designs garden in London.
    “Basura” (“Rubbish”), group exhibition curated by Javier Quintanilla at Centre Civic Ateneu Fort Pienc, Barcelona, October 2008.
  • 2008 Christmas Eve an evening walk through the "Sassi" in Matera, Southern Italy, with Gianni Maragno. Meets Nicola Lisanti at "Il Comignolo" and is invited to have an exhibition at his gallery in the "Sassi".

  • 2009 Participates in drawing workshops in London at the National Gallery and the Tate Modern. Attends painting workshops at the National Portrait Gallery in connection with the Gerhard Richter retrospective and examines connections between photography, painting and ideas of representation .
    Visits Vienna and sees the Breughel paintings and the Greek sculptures at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Sees Gerhard Richter's watercolours at the Albertina.
    Throughout May, paints in gardens in and around Florence with friends from England and writes illustrated article for "Painting the Spring in a Florentine Garden", The Florentine, Issue No.104/2009, June 18 2009. www.theflorentine.net
    Sees Wagner's opera "Gotterdamerung", conducted by Zubin Mehta and directed by "La Fura del Baus" at the Teatro Communale in Florence.
    Paints on the islands of Rhodes and Antiparos in Greece.
    Sees the exhibition of Robert Mappelthorpe's photographs and videos "The Perfection of Form" at the Accademia in Florence.

  • September 2009 - Exhibition "Mythologies 2009 - Rea Zoe Stavropoulos" at "Il Comignolo", Sasso Barisano, Matera, Southern Italy.

 

  • Works in Private and Public collections in UK, France, Austria, Greece, Spain, Italy, USA , Sri Lanka and South America.

 

  • Teaching and lecturing:
  • Life drawing and watercolour painting classes (adults); Life drawing course planned specifically for dancers; English language, literature and writing skills for adults (individuals and groups); lecturing on professional accountability and the legal process at De Montfort University and Surrey University in the United Kingdom; leading Art History tours of Europe for American High School and University students and adults; Co-director of Accademia Britannica, Florence, organising and lecturing on cultural and garden tours of Tuscany and the Veneto.
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