Hi there!
My name is Adrianne or Age for short. Before coming to Hydra, I worked as Graphic Designer + artist, mainly focusing on hand illustrated maps. I had created a few paintings of the new direction I wanted to move in and wanted something to help push me there, learn, grow and motivate me. But mostly inspire and put myself out there as an artist and get a total new change of scenery - after 2 years of stuck in the Aust covid bubble. My father is Greek and I had been to Greece a few times with family and travels with friends, but this experience to reconnect to my heritage in a new way and creatively was a pretty magical experience. With all the history of Hydra - knowing artists, writers and poets have been coming to this island for a creative break for years and years… you can feel that magic open the island.
Walking around the island, it is a magical place. You get a sense of the place, how things operate and see the same faces doing what they do everyday. We did a hike to Mt Eros and listed the Monastery. The views were incredible and you get this perspective of this tiny island has such a pull and greatness to it beyond what you see. My artwork is inspired from alluring places around the world and all things discovered while on my travels; textured walls, fruit stands, old signage and many collected books/matchbooks. So naturally the textures + colours of the walls of Hydra were heaven to me.
Most mornings I walked around early, with no many around except the early morning workers preparing for the day and fishermen. I’d take my film camera and go walk a new track I hadn’t been on, it’s like a little maze but with always something new to see. On the way back, I’d pop by the fresh food market and pick up some goods and head back to the house and do a little Greek breakfast cook up. The tomatoes were the size of grapefruits and so delicious!
It took me a couple days to actually take it all in. Where I was and what I was doing. This little dream I had was coming true, just being there - taking in all the sights and sounds.
Church bells at 7am, from my window I could look out and see the priest blessing the grounds. Seeing the donkeys walk past out house - it was all the little things that just made it so special.We’d work on our workshops, cook and sit around and enjoy being in the beautiful artist house, have multiple swim breaks - honestly my idea of heaven.
We has a boat day where Mr Kostas took as around part of the island to little deserted swim spots, crystal clear blue amazing waters and nobody around. On one of the beaches, Harriet and I found discarded old tarp that was wearing away - beautifully I might add. But it would have ended up in the ocean and probably not been great for the environment. For one of our sustainable workshops, we decided to cut it up and share pieces of it between the group and great artwork from the rescued tarp.
We went to the opening of Jeff Koon’s new exhibition which Hydra was lit up for. The opening night was a lot of fun and was beautiful seeing the artwork, especially Apollo; the large Sun installation of the side of the Deste building as you come into the port. A lot of other artists and creatives had flooded Hydra and it was buzzing. I loved seeing all the different outfits on women and men. The coloured suits and beautiful dresses, so much colour and everyone was ready celebrate and so was I. The night ended with a midnight (or early morning I should say) swim and spanakopita. 🌈💕
We worked on new artworks and bounced ideas off each other. We all wanted to soak up those last few days together and in this amazing place. All these creative ideas were flowing it was amazing. It was such a unique opportunity career wise and just in life. The girls in the group were amazing and we all still talk and catch up, it’s been incredible to have formed such strong relationships from people on the other side of the world.
Since coming home I’ve done two exhibitions of new collections of artwork, the latest one Odissea; which was an exhibition based on my Greek heritage and another artists Sicilian heritage creating pieces that reflected food and culture of these two countries that are so similar in many ways.
The Hydra residency was a defining moment to me and my work. It did help push me as an artist which I was hoping for but in another way it helped me let go more. Something I didn’t really realise until I was there, to help let things flow and your day isn’t measured in productivity. I think that’s the line with artists, in order to be creative, you need to pause look around and have time to take it in and let your imagination to the rest. It’s not something you can rush but you need time to sit with - and that’s been one of the biggest takeaways.
I’ll be back Hydra!
Age
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