Xenou Vana (1949)

She was born in Athens in 1949. She studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts on a Greek state scholarship (I.K.Y.), under Y. Moralis (1969-1973). She continued her studies in Paris on an EOMMEX grant (Hellenic Organization of Small and Medium Enterprises and Handicraft) at the École Des Arts Décoratifs, (1973-74) and the École des Beaux-Arts (1974-78). At the same time she studied drawing in European and American museums and attended seminars on aesthetics and philosophy (1974-77).
In her first solo exhibition in Athens she presented works of painting (Ora gallery, 1978). Soon she turned to installations, three-dimensional constructions and sculpture, organizing the presentation of her work in consecutive thematic units (Artistic exploration in the world of Lewis Carroll, Judith and Holofernes, Angels, Eleusinian Mysteries, Hyperion). Her choices highlight the contemporary dimension and the timeless function of artworks, images, narratives or past locations, in relation to the great questions of human existence.
Alongside her artistic presence, her educational work has been equally significant. She taught drawing at K.T.E. (Center for Technological Applications: 1976-1977), in 1980 she became a scientific associate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Athens National Technical University, and in 1986 she was elected lecturer at the Painting Studio of the same Faculty, where she currently teaches as a professor. From 1992 to 1993, she taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris as a visiting lecturer.
Furthermore, she has designed costumes and sets for the theatre. As member of numerous cultural organizations, she participated in committees for international exhibitions and other art events, including two Mediterranean Biennales for Young Artists (Thessaloniki 1987 and Marseille 1990).
Many of her exhibitions have been presented in Greece and abroad (Europe and U.S.A.), while she has also participated in a great deal of group shows. In 1982 she participated in Europalia (Belgium). In 2000 she presented an exhibition on the Mysteries of Eleusis at the Chapelle Saint-Louis de la Salpêtrière in Paris, following an invitation by the French Ministry of Culture. In 2008 she was nominated for the Women of Europe award.