Antonakatou Diana (1922 - 2011)

Born in Cephalonia in 1922, she studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1943-1949) under Parthenis, Kefallinos and Prevelakis.
She presented her first solo exhibition at the Romvos Gallery in 1951. Her subjects are predominantly landscapes, interiors and human figures or portraits. Her inspirations come from Greece and the folk tradition, with the emphasis on rendering colour and light. Her distinct formalisations and the incorporation of certain expressionistic elements characterise her personal idiom.
Her work as a writer evolved in parallel with her art. In 1958 she began to publish articles on visual art, history, folklore and social issues in newspapers and magazines (Eos, Architectoniki, Ellinika Themata, Zygos, Anendotos, Imerissia, Politika Themata, etc.). She wrote feature columns, travel articles, art reviews and reports but also on poetry and literature. She also published books and albums with her own texts and illustrations as the fruits of long travels and research in various parts of Greece (Cephalonia, Ionian islands, Argolis, Messenia, Nauplion, etc.). In 1979 she was awarded the silver medal of the Academy of Athens for her book on Greek monasteries. She also illustrated calendars, book covers, magazines and newspapers.
She taught for many years in secondary education and was active in promoting culture in many parts of Greece, giving lectures, attending conferences and organising events. She also wrote and directed plays and designed stage sets.
She participated in various collective schemes from early on, starting with the Stathmi Group in the 1950s. She was a member of the Society for Cephalonian Historical Research, the Centre for Ionian Studies, the Historical Ethnographic Society of Greece and the Hellenic Art Critics’ Association. As a member of the Visual Arts Chamber of Greece (ΕΕΤΕ) she was active in organising symposia and other events.
She had over 60 solo exhibitions. For 25 years she presented her work every summer at her house in Vilatoria, Cephalonia. She participated also in many Panhellenic Exhibitions (1948, 1952, 1957, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1973) and in group shows in Greece and abroad.
Her works form part of the collections of the National Gallery, the National Bank of Greece, the Municipal Galleries of Rhodes and Ioannina, the Korgialenios Library of Argostoli, etc.