Bio
Tina Psoinos explores the feminine in its different manifestations. Through a multidisciplinary practice that includes abstract painting, pop art and photography, Psoinos’ work empowers and uplifts.
Psoinos uses mark making inspired by nature and patterns found in city life in her abstracted work. The same mark making becomes the background in Psoinos’ pop art, using mixed traditional and street-art techniques with urban art aesthetics, while sneaking in personal references of her Greek heritage and her life in Manhattan. Drawing on powerful imagery, she uses these concepts to also create and develop inspired site-specific installations.
Psoinos was born in Athens, Greece, and currently lives and works in New York City. She received a BFA and continued her studies towards a masters in photography at Hunter College (New York, NY) and interior design at Fashion Institute of Technology (New York, NY). Psoinos has received many awards for her artistry and has exhibited internationally, including at the Photo Biennale in Berlin and Madrid and many art fairs during Art Basel Miami. She has been featured on NBC and Huffington Post and nominated at EMST, The National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens, Greece. Her work is in private and public collections internationally, including the World Bank Headquarters and Yuko Nii Foundation.
Statement
Feminine attributes: Intuition, Creativity, Sensuality, Gentleness, Emotion, Reflectiveness, Compassion, Acceptance, Forgiveness, Wisdom.
My work explores the feminine. Through a multidisciplinary practice that includes abstract painting, pop art and photography, I focus on uplifting energy and empowerment as symbolic amplifiers of utopia. The feminine is apparent everywhere.
The visual language relies on recurring layers of memory and reflections on time, referencing pop culture, art history and nature, while influenced by my daily urban landscape experience. Through the use of mark making, pattern and gesturalism I intend to convey emotions in my abstract paintings. For the portraits, I continue by reimagining female celebrities that inspire me into fresh, contemporary, powerful visions of strong, multifaceted women. The intention behind the portraits is to honor the ones that came before me and pave the way for those that come after me, flirting with the idea of change and improvement. Compelling color palettes engage the viewer in a playful array of light and texture, allowing for their own particular associations to come through.
In a quest of self-awareness and growth, I have embarked on a roller-coaster journey identifying emotions and beliefs, exploring both my heritage and my city of choice, while drawing from memory fragments, seeking understanding and acceptance. My current body of work is the cataloging of that Odyssey, that journey that has led me so far to the exploration of the feminine as it relates to women, nature, culture and emotion. The work is created employing different styles and techniques, allowing myself the freedom to express and translate each emotion freely, and present each female in the light she evokes, while the palette and mark making form a cohesive body of work, creating space for the viewer to relate in the experience.
What sparked your love of art? When did your artistic journey begin?
I grew up with a view of the Acropolis. The city of Athens (Greece) essentially served as a museum, where I grew up surrounded by art. In my own family, both grandmothers were creatives, one being painter and the other one passionate with needlework, making intricate crochet doilies. But it wasn’t my birthplace or my family tradition that influenced my decision to become an artist. To me, art was just a natural extension of self. In college, photography was a prerequisite for another class, but for me it was love at first sight! It became a tool of expression, a way of viewing and understanding the world, a way of life; it paved the path to what is now a career.
What part of your life influences your work the most?
At the beginning of my career, it was city life and then travel that influenced my work. In more recent years, the work is still informed by my urban environment but also of my Greek heritage, recurrent layers of memory and the feminine in all its manifestations.
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What materials are you drawn to and why?
Fiber-based photo paper is one of my favorite materials because you never forget your first love! But I also love all photo techniques and use them in my mixed media. Acrylic, spray paint, and charcoal are my favorites when it comes to paintings because of their properties and drying time as I work building up multiple layers.
Tell us about a time that you would consider a turning point in your practice.
After having my son, I created my best work as a photographer. But the birth of my daughter, years later, was a pivotal moment in my practice; my priorities changed and so did my focus. I shot my last black- and- white film and moved in a different direction. I discovered my true purpose, exploring the feminine, honoring the past and looking into the future, paving the way for the next generation. Striving for empowerment, equality, and better practices for a safer environment and planet.
How do you overcome a challenge, whether it’s in the studio or in the business side of art?
You can overcome any challenge by stepping back and looking at it from a different perspective with a glass of wine in hand.
