A SERIES of mosaics depicting scenes from Pygmalion have been created by young children in Paphos to celebrate the town’s winning bid for Culture Capital 2017.
With the help of renowned Paphos based artist, Mary Chojnowski, the children of St. Spyridon have created six impressive art works over a two-year period.
Chojnowski is passionate about community art and has been taking her skills to schools across the district for the last five years.
Two years ago, she was approached by the Paphos school and moved her workshop there to help create the mosaic project, which is based on the Greek myth of Pygmalion.
She told the Cyprus Mail: “It has been such a pleasure to be part of this project to help the school celebrate 2017 through myth and the ancient world, and also how Paphos got its name. It taught me that, as I had no idea about it before.”
The designs were all thought up and created by the children, based on their reading of the myth, she added.
“Their teacher Elena Socratous has been very helpful organising all the different classes to take part in workshops and the entire school was behind the project.”
Although there are a number of different version of the Pygmalion myth, the one depicted in the mosaics follows the lines that, the daughter born to sculptor Pygmalion and his wife Galatte, who was originally a statue crafted by him and brought to life by the goddess Aphrodite, was named Paphos.
“The children created a red and white mosaic of her with Paphos castle on her skirt. They really enjoyed the project and all of the children attending the school aged from 4 to 12 years old took part.”
In addition, a number of teachers also attended and got involved, she said.
Once or twice a week the artist would teach the children about her traditional craft and also what skills are needed. She also said that the experience teaches children the importance of working together.
The children spent a year making the latest series of three huge mosaics (each over 1.5 metres high) and they are now drying, she said, before being mounted on the school walls.
“This is such a very relevant project for 2017 and I’m hoping that the 2017 committee will allow them to be shown somewhere as part of the celebrations, the children would be thrilled. Perhaps an inter school exhibition would be a good idea.”
Chojnowski also said that the piece could also be used as street art, where they could be taken and displayed at a number of different events.
For further information: Mary Chojnowski – 99595385
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