Born 1990, Athens, Greece, where she lives and works.
Concerned with various forms of identification within society and the self, Eugenia Vereli actively seeks to expand, through her artistic practice, how we think about notions of freedom, expression, criticism, and influence. With gender, social status, and sexuality as additional touch points within her practice, Vereli questions how one can be liberated amidst the massive number of macro- and micro-criticisms, and pressures within society.
Reptiles Made with Love (2018) is the quintessential example of Vereli’s ability to juxtapose Greek folklore with traditional ceramic processes within her sculptures. This strategy enables her to skilfully examine the simple truths of Greek society that historically function as taboo and myth, thus revealing the beauty of the ordinary. Vereli utilises visual references such as high-end fashion, the glamour of Hollywood, imagery of everyday life, and her imagination, to create her sculptures. These diverse references function as linchpins for storytelling that is present throughout Vereli’s approach to art making.
Just as her predecessors told stories via painted scenes of myths and battles on ceramic vases, as seen in a piece like To Die Will Be an Awfully Big Adventure (2018), Vereli does the same yet reflects stories of her contemporary life, stemming from a personal quest for freedom of perception. From creating large-scale four-foot vases to drawing loose pencil, crayon, and marker sketches, she plays with the conventional and non-traditional, perfection and imperfection, to offer the viewer a new and fresh visual narrative. For AB7, Vereli will exhibit several of her ceramic sculptures building on these artistic interests.
Under the volcano I, 2020
Glazed ceramic, resin, 70 x 75 cm
Courtesy of Allouche Benias Gallery
Under the volcano II, 2020
Glazed ceramic, resin, 70 x 80 cm
Courtesy of Allouche Benias Gallery
To die will be an awfully big adventure, 2019
Glazed ceramic, resin, 55 x 130 cm
Courtesy of Allouche Benias Gallery
Reptiles Made with love, 2018
Glazed ceramic, resin, 65 x 130 cm
Courtesy of Allouche Benias Gallery and Collection of Markopoulos Family