The Culture, Sports & Youth Organization (OPANDA) of the City of Athens presents the solo exhibition “Ma” by Eleni Krikki at the Melina Mercouri Cultural Center, running from January 16 to February 16, 2025. Featuring works created between 2017 and today, the exhibition delves into the Japanese concept of “ma” (negative space) and its connection to fabric art.

Krikki’s creations, which she describes as “personal geographies,” draw parallels with maps, topographies, equations, and musical scores. Her pieces transform landscapes into intimate terrains where threads weave memories and geography becomes deeply personal.

“This work connects me to my past and origins,” Krikki says of her intricately embroidered and painted fabrics, each rich with vibrant stitches. Raised in the expansive Thessalian plains and the dense forests of Pindus, Krikki grew up in an environment steeped in the fabric trade—her father was a merchant, and her mother a passionate embroiderer and knitter. This early exposure to the therapeutic power of needlework profoundly influenced her artistic practice.

Combining her love of mathematics and training in architecture, Krikki creates layered works using materials such as wood, fabric, plaster, and wire. These compositions merge realism and metaphysics, blending scientific precision with emotional depth.

Inspired by the Japanese philosophy of “ma,” her works emphasize the importance of negative space—physical and emotional gaps that create balance and meaning. Much like the spaces cultivated in Japanese gardens, where absence enhances presence, Krikki’s textile pieces invite contemplation of what lies between: presence and absence, seen and unseen, memory and reality.

Exhibition Details:

  • Dates: January 16 – February 16, 2025
  • Where: Melina Mercouri Cultural Center, Kerameikos, Athens
  • Exhibit Curator: Christophoros Marinos
  • Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 11:00 AM–7:00 PM; Saturday-Sunday: 10:00 AM–3:00 PM
  • Admission: Free
    For additional information, visit OPANDA’s official page.