Maria Salouvardou
I live in Berlin and work as costume installation designer.
Human hair was my first material for sculpture and installation working as a hair stylist.
Apart from attaining a Business Management degree I studied Acting
(Vasilis Diamantopoulos and Akis Davis Theatre Schools),
- Costume design and Scenography (Little University School),
->History of Art (Spanish Studio School), -History of B&W Photography (Photographic Circle).
I participated as costume designer and actress in various shows and performances and lectured
at the Little University on recyclable materials for making clothes.
My mixed media work consists of handwork techniques using various broken stuff, -toys,
-dolls, plastic and paper garbage, threads, textiles and wires
combining with music, text and video.
I restructure and compose with respect towards the environment.
I love to combine objects and fabrics, upcycle them and transform them into art.
- My last performance was in Gallery 11 in Berlin, for the Landscape Metropolis exhibition with a costume made out of bin bags.
- In 2020 one of my costume installations based on poems was presented at the Illuseum Berlin as part of the exhibition ‘Missing Nature’ by Téchne.
- In 2021 I worked as costume and scenography designer for the film Goddess, Garbage & Gewalt.
- In 2021 my Project ''Heartbird'' was selected for the online Exhibition Mink
- In the international video poetry festival 2021 the performance ‘Lady Lazarus’ presenting my sculpture-installation based on the poem ‘Lady Lazarus’ by Sylvia Plath was selected.
- In September 2021 my project 'dreams limited, bonds of freedom' was presented at the excibition 'Threads of freedom' by Téchne at Art Stalker in Berlin.
- In April 2022 the video poetry "Into my Garden come" was selected by Project Lazaretta for Eye's walk Festival.
- 13th May to 7th July 2022 my Solo Exhibition "Throw me not" takes places at Ewa Frauenzenrtum in Berlin. On display, visitors could see my sculpture/costume installations inspired by poems, my colorful garden of shoes and costumes made of garbage and other discarded materials. On the Opening and the Closing days visitors watched my short film "into my garden come" and my performance "Dead land."
- At 18.10.22 I presented "the Dead land" , poetry installation and performance at the Byzantine Baths, this wonderful world heritage of Unesco, in Thessaloniki
- November 2022 I take part in Group exhibitions at Lite- Haus Gallerie and Digital Chroma Gallery in Berlin.
- At 11.11.2022 my paper dresses made of used paper bags are on display at Forum Factory Berlin.
- My short film "Into my Garden come" won the Directors choice Award at the Bliss333 Poetry Festival in Colorado