Verghi Chryssa (1959)

She was born in 1959 in Athens. She studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts, with L. Kanakakis, D. Mytaras and N. Kessanlis (1984-1989). She also studied Interior Design at the California State University of Long Beach - Fine Arts School, with A. Turnauyer (1980-1984). She continued her studies at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris on a greek state scholarship (I.K.Y.), with P. Carron (1990-1992). Her first solo exhibition was held in Athens (Zoumboulakis gallery, 1994).
Her art was shaped through direct observation and close contact with the natural landscape. Her paintings, usually of large-size, indicate a personal experiential relationship with nature, expressed not only through recognizable images, but also through the photochromatic gesture that dominates her style. She avoids using the easel, preferring to paint on the ground, in order to maintain a sense of closeness to the natural world. Thus, by reducing her distance from the subject, she converts the painting’s surface into a part of nature, inviting the viewer to share the immediacy of her experience.
The human figure occurs rarely in some of her works, however, without being dominant. The search of light remains her main concern, which she seeks through the leaf movements, in the water flow or the in the colour variations of the greek landscape.
She has shown her work in solo exhibitions in Athens, Thessaloniki and Nicosia. She has also participated in group exhibitions in Greece and abroad (Paris, Brussels, London, Dublin, Beijing, etc.) and has illustrated calendars and other publications.
She is particularly sensitive towards environmental issues. In 2008, under the Environmental Programme of Goulandris Natural History Museum and SKAI radio station, one of her works was auctioned and the proceeds were donated to the Forest Fund.