Artist Statement

Persefone Maietta is a Perth based Western Australian artist whose Greek heritage has always been the pivotal source of inspiration for her work.

Growing up Greek in a small city and being named Persefone Papadopoulos came with its own unique challenges but also character building.
The cross cultural divide lead to the questioning of belonging or finding a place to belong.
It was a fluid issue. Studying a Fine Arts Degree was the beginning of finding place.
Fueled by pride for her ethnicity and a love for her birthplace, a personal library of symbols was created. A representation of memories and experiences collected and collated throughout her life and expanded on by frequent visits to Greece and enriched by her immersion in the Greek community, traditions, culture and religion. These symbols are used to create her abstract works which are visual narratives around contemplations of displacement and disassociation as a reaction to the diasporic movement of Hellenes. Static works in Chiaroscuro are reminiscent of camera film negatives or slides in a carousel projected on a wall as a collection of holiday snapshots.

Tension between the symbols creates a dual cultural reflection and adds to the symbiotic nature of the two worlds coexisting side by side in perfect balance and clarity. Her work invites the viewer to consider and engage in conversation about the statement, “Homeland versus Heartland”