In ‘Day by Day’, Olympia Antoniadis’ intricate paintings use flowers as a ‘Memento mori’; a symbolic reminder of the inevitability of our mortality. Although morbid, the term can have dual meaning; used to invigorate life and to create priority and purpose in the withering decay of the subject. Its gift is the reminder not to waste time on the trivial and vain.
Olympia finds beauty in the tender decomposition of the flower and arranges her subjects to reflect on her personal experiences with grief and loss. ‘Day by Day’ serves as an awareness of the fragility of life, bidding us to be more mindful and have reverence for the moments on the journey. Every stage of the flower’s life, from bud to full-bursting bloom, through the inevitable wilting and decay, is beautiful.
Olympia Antoniadis, Two Lovers, 2020, oil on linen, 137 x 91cm. Courtesy the artist and Saint Cloche, Sydney
Saint Cloche
1 to 13 September 2020
Sydney
