Kana Irene (1954)

Born in Chania in 1954, she studied painting at the ASFA under P. Tetsis and stage design under V. Vassiliadis, graduating in 1990.
Practising painting, predominantly, in her early works she focuses on landscapes, mainly expressionistic countryside scenes where her palette combines with her technique and materials to convey a dreamlike atmosphere. Later she turns to urban scenes, island landscapes and seafaring ships in compositions which have a strong presence of the metaphysical element and are often charged with the artist's childhood memories. These series of works are totally devoid of human presence, although it is suggested by various objects or elements that allude to it.
After 2000, in a temporary shift away from the natural environment to which she returns later, she turns to rendering the human figure, particularly female and often nude, which dominates and organises the overall composition. Children's figures, animals and still lifes are some of the other subjects that interest her and expand her thematic range.
She has presented her work in over 20 solo exhibitions and has participated in dozens of group shows in Greece and abroad, among which: Gewandelte Landschaften (Palais Hirsch, Schwetzingen 1998), Art Quake, (Benaki Museum, 1999), Dialogues (Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art 2007), Experiencing Greece: Travels through an enchanted Landscape (Hellenic House, Beijing 2008), Ambassadors of Contemporary Greek Art: Three Generations of Painters, (Hellenic Museum, Melbourne 2009), Three Generations of Greek Painting & Printmaking (Municipal Gallery, Athens 2015). Her works can be found in the Ministry of Culture, the Hellenic Parliament, the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, the Goulandris Museum on Andros, the Foundation of Thracian Art and Tradition, The Moschandreou Gallery of Contemporary Art in Messolonghi, the Municipal Gallery of Chania as well as in public and private collections in Greece and abroad.