Katerina Papazissi is an Athens-based artist whose practice is rooted in painting as a material and embodied process. She engages with the body, desire, and transformation, bringing the history of images into dialogue with contemporary experience through gesture, color, and painting's materiality.
Recent solo exhibitions include A Dancefloor of One’s Own at Ileana Tounta Contemporary Arts Center (2024) and But Today It Is Different at Athens Municipality Cultural Center (2022), curated by Christoforos Marinos. Recent group exhibitions include Der Latente Barock, Split Art Projects, Vienna, and A Rave Down Below as part of 2023 Eleusis-European Capital of Culture, curated by Panos Giannikopoulos
In 2006, Papazissi co-curated Plastira 16 (Disposable Gallery), a collective project housed in her soon-to-be-demolished home, which represented Greece at the Biennale of Young Artists in Puglia (2008). She was a resident at Monson Arts, Maine, in November 2023 and participated in Oxbow School of Art's Conversations in Practice (2022).
Papazissi holds an Integrated BA-MA in Painting from the Athens School of Fine Arts, and an MA in Design Studies from Central Saint Martin’s College, London. Her early studies in Social Psychology (BSc) and Media and Communications (MSc), London School of Economics, and her long involvement with contemporary dance and other somatic practices significantly inform her artistic practice. Her works can be found in private and public collections in Greece and abroad.
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Η Κατερίνα Παπαζήση είναι εικαστικός με έδρα την Αθήνα. H πρακτική της βασίζεται στη ζωγραφική ως υλική και ενσώματη διαδικασία. Ασχολείται με το σώμα, την επιθυμία και τη μεταμόρφωση, φέρνοντας την ιστορία των εικόνων σε διάλογο με τη σύγχρονη εμπειρία μέσα από τη χειρονομία, το χρώμα και την υλικότητα της ζωγραφικής.
Πρόσφατες ατομικές εκθέσεις περιλαμβάνουν τις A Dancefloor of One’s Own, Κέντρο Σύγχρονης Τέχνης Ιλεάνα Τούντα, 2024 και But Today It is Different, 2022, Πολιτιστικό Κέντρο του Δήμου Αθηναίων ‘Μελίνα’ σε επιμέλεια Χριστόφορου Μαρίνου. Πρόσφατες ομαδικές εκθέσεις περιλαμβάνουν τις Der Latente Barock, Split Art Projects, Vienna, και A Rave Down Below, επιμέλεια Πάνος Γιαννικόπουλος, μέρος του προγράμματος της Ελευσίνας Πολιτιστικής Πρωτεύουσας της Ευρώπης, 2023. Το ομαδικό πρότζεκτ Πλαστήρα 16- γκαλερί μιας χρήσης, 2006 που συνεπιμελήθηκε, αντιπροσώπευσε την Ελλάδα στην Μπιενάλλε Νέων Καλλιτεχνών το 2008. Το 2026 θα συμμετέχει στο πρόγραμμα φιλοξενίας του The Sam and Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts, USA. Το 2023 συμμετειχε στο πρόγραμμα φιλοξενίας Monson Arts (USA), και το 2022 στο πρόγραμμα Conversations in Practice του Oxbow School of Art (USA).
Σπούδασε ζωγραφική (BA, Integrated MA) στη Σχολή Καλών Τεχνών της Αθήνας και MA Design Studies στο Central Saint Martin’s College of Art, London, ενώ παλαιότερα είχε σπουδάσει Social Psychology (BSc) και Media and Communications (MSc), στο London School of Economics. Μαζί με την παράλληλη ενασχόλησή της με σωματικές πρακτικές, αυτό το υπόβαθρο μορφοποιεί τη σύγχρονη πρακτική της. Εργα της βρίσκονται σε ιδιωτικές και δημόσιες συλλογές στην Ελλάδα και το εξωτερικό.
Studies
2000-2006 BA, Integrated MA. Painting. Athens School of Fine Art.
1999-2000 MA with Distinction in Design Studies. Central Saint Martin’s College of Art
1998-1999 MSc with Distinction in Media and Communications. London School of Economics and Political Science.
1993-1997 BSc Social Psychology. London School of Economics and Political Science.
Solo exhibitions and presentations
2024 A Dancefloor of One’s Own. Solo exhibition at Ileana Tounta Contemporary Arts Center.
2022 But Today It Is Different. Solo exhibition in the Cultural Center of the Athens Municipality, ‘Melina’. Curated by Christoforos Marinos. (Catalog).
2019 Autopoesis, part of the project I Am Used to Seeing the World in Images, curated by Jenny Tsoumbri. In collaboration with the mathematician Petros Stefaneas. Eugenides Foundation, Athens.
2014 That That is Not. Solo exhibition in the artist’s Studio- KP Studio. Curated by Maria Yiayiannou and Gogo Voudouri. (Catalog).
2010 Still Travelling. Installation for the Vitrina Project, Athens, Greece.
Curatorial Projects
2017 Domestic Matter. Exhibition in KP Studio. (the home studio of the artist)
2006 Plastira 16. Disposable Gallery. Exhibition/happening in the artist’s to-be-demolished house in Athens.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2025 Around About. Open Art Link, Piraeus, GR. Curated by Julia Harrauer
2025 Der Latente Barock . Split Art Projects Vienna.
2025 Velvet Gardens Festival. Curated by The Callas and Nadja Argyropoulou
2024 Trifles and Troupes, curated by Ioanna Gerakidi. The Blender Gallery.
2024 Art Athina, with Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Cente.
2023 A Rave Down Below, Eleusina, curated by Panos Giannikopoulos for 2023Eleusis.
2023 Lavreotiki Art Project, Lavrion Technological Park. Curated by Amalia Charikiopoulou.
2023 Close Up. Taf: The Art Foundation, Curated by Eirini Ruby and Alexandra Malakasioti.
2023 Resilience. Taf: The Art Foundation. Curated by Pow Wow.
2022 Ceramic Art Painting and Sculpture.Mon Coin Studio, Athens
2021 New Acquisitions. Averoff Art Gallery, Metsovo,
2021 Mötley Crew. Triantaros Primary School, Tinos. Curated by Margarita Myrogianni
2021 I Can See Your House from Here. Haus N Athen 2, Athens.
2020 Art Instead. Phoenix Gallery, Athens. Curated by Christina Makris
2019 Lands of Creation. Averoff Art Gallery, Metsovo, Greece. Curated by Lina Tsikouta.
2019 Platforms projects. Athens School of Fine Arts
2018 Probably Wonderful?’. Old Paper Warehouse, Athens. Curated by Georg Georgakopoulos
2018 Versions of the Garden The symptom projects, Amfissa. Curated by Nikos Papadopoulos and Faye Zika
2017 20 Years Ifac. Curated by Lee Wells. Ifac Athens.
2016 State of Being and the Element of Surprise. Curated by Maria Zacharogianni and Antigone Pogiatzi. Metamatic:Taf. Athens.
2015 Jules Verne’ Curated by Chris Capten. The Loft, Athens
2015 Ageanalle 2015, Mykonos, Tinos. Curated by Sozita Goudouna.
2014 ‘Chorographies: Lines of Flight’. Artscape Athens. Curated by Panos Giannikopoulos, Aglaia Komninou and Christina Petkopoulou
2014 ‘A State of Mine’ CAMP. Contemporary Art Meeting Place, Athens. Curated by Panos Skouloudis.
2013 Thrills and Chills. CAN Christina Androulidaki Gallery. Curated by Daily Lazy Projects and Christina Androulidaki.
2013 Thrills and Chills. Art Athina. Curated by Daily Lazy Projects.
2011 Hereafter. The intermediary space. The cultural center of the city of Athens. Curator: Theofilos Tramboulis. (catalog)
2010 Hidden Athens. Part 2 (Transgressive Athens), Part 3 (City Ghosts) TAF, The Art Foundation. Athens
2010 Recycling, Reusing, Appropriating. 50 years of Greek Ready-made. Kalamata Municipal Gallery. Curator Thanassis Moutsopoulos (bibliography)
2010 The Sotiria Project. Sotiria Hospital, Athens, Curated by Panagiotis Papadopoulos (catalog).
2009 George Tourlas and his friends. Kappatos Gallery, Athens.
2008 Environment-Action Villa Kazouli. Athens. (Catalog)
2008 Biennale of Young Artists. Puglia, Italy. (catalog)
2008 1st Photo-biennale. Thessaloniki, Greece. (Catalog)
2004 The Body in Ancient Drama. Kronos Factory, Eleusina, Greece
Performances/Events
2022 But today It Is different/ Immersion. Event/performance in the context of solo exhibition. In
collaboration with Anna Tzakou and Thaleia Ioannidou. Melina Cultural Center, Athens.
2006 Closet, Solo Performance during the project Plastira 16, Athens, Greece.
2005 Rope. Solo Performance in El Mono, Bilbao. Basque Country
2005 Diva. Solo Street Performance in Bilbao, Basque Country.
Collections (public)
Athens Municipal Gallery (2024)
Averoff Art Gallery, Metsovo. (2021)
Residencies/workshops
2026 (Upcoming) The Sam and Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts Artist Residency
2023 Monson Arts, Monson, Maine.
2022 Conversations in practice, Oxbow School of Art.
Press
2024 A View From The Easel, Hyperallergic. 294th installment Link
2024 Cover art for Athens Voice, issue 930 (collaborative work with Alexandra Kollaros) Link
2024 Interview in VMagazino by Marilena Astrapellou Link
2024 Interview in Greek News Agenda Link
2024 Interview in Pontiki Art, by Alexandra Broutzaki Link
2023 Artist presentation in Create! Magazine Link
2022 Interview in Athens Voice, by Stefanos Tsitsopoulos Link
2015 Featured Artist in Chronos mag, no 21. Link
2014 Artist Presentation in Tetraktys Mag. Online art review. Link
2013 Artist Presentation in ‘LandEscapes’. Online Art review. 1st issue, February 2013 Link
2010 Artists’ Studios in Public View. Article in Vmagazino by Kelly Kiki.
2008 4 Graduates of the ASFA Class of 2006. Interview in Eleftheros Typos.
2006. Disposable Gallery. Interview in Ependitis newspaper by Maria Tsilimidou.
Sponsorships/Awards
2026 Aegean Airlines - Sponsorship for travel to the US. for the Golden Foundation Residency.
2021 Lefranc&Bourgeois -Sponsorship of products for upcoming exhibition
2021 Hahnemuehle - Sponsorship of products for upcoming exhibition
Teaching
2011-2013 Evening workshops to adults in the Moraitis School, Athens.
2015-2017 Evening collage workshops for adults in Kentro-Apokentro cultural space, Athens.
Dance Training
2002-2015 Workshops and classes with international teachers in Greece and the Basque Country.
2007-2008 Member of dance group ‘Angeloskoni’
2005 Member of the UPV dance group, Basque country.
2004-2008 Butoh workshops with Masaki Iwana, Sumako Koseki, Frank Van der Wen.