The Others

Meet The Others: Tina Pitsiavas

Meet Tina Pitsiavas, the artist behind the bold series engaging with social issues, current news items and political environments around the world.

One might argue that today’s world is a patchwork of social issues  (a not so pretty one). Some have transcended time and history, whilst others are new and evolving. In today’s society in particular, a variety of activations, slogans and headlines protesting and critiquing power and the forms of knowledge that constitute inequalities have emerged. It is therefore apt that Tina Pitsiavas has named her series ‘Patchwork of Protest.’

As a trained Art Therapist, Tina began ‘Patchworks of Protest’ in 2019 to engage with the healing characteristics of art that gives voice and clarity to contemporary issues. Despite experimenting with other mediums, Tina uses gouache on watercolour paper to create the loud patchworks. Referring to it as a “luscious medium,” the quick-drying make-up of gouache allows Tina to add various colours to the paper and test how each interacts. The combination of large letters which vary in color, capitalised and lower-case letters, causes the viewer to pause and carefully de-code its meaning. 

“Colour is very important to me. I use color and colour combinations to attract the viewers eye to each piece. It is only after the viewer deciphers the words that they realise there is an under layer…one that may be darker than the colors I use,” says Tina. 

Looking across these patchworks, Tina Pitsiavas makes unapologetic declarations, such as “anything you can do, I can do bleeding” and “old men, new wars.” Other works take a self advocative angle – equally as important as the advocacy for social issues. These include, “find your inner fan” – a comment on one’s inner critic, and the more humorous (and potentially relatable kind) “find a better job.” Whilst Tina claims that her work can be seen as tongue in cheek, she believes that any method that a message can be conveyed through art to elicit awareness and change is valuable. 

“My work is just a small drop in the large ocean of political and social commentary in art.”

Tina Pitsiavas returns to The Cutaway, December 1-4 as part of The Other Art Fair’s popular edition. With 135 artists, tattoos, a few surprises – and a fully stocked bar, this an art fair not to be missed.