THEODOSIA MARCHANT AIMS TO DEFINE A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE THAT REMAINS TIMELESS AND INCORRUPTIBLE.
The Munchies Art Club is thrilled to share our new artist feature, introducing the wonderful artist Theodosia Marchant, who took the time to share her work and answer our short questions, allowing us a more intimate view of who the artist is and what drives her.
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Theodosia Marchant Website
Theodosia Marchant is an accomplished Greek-British artist based in Los Angeles, known for her introspective and expressive figurative art.
Born in Athens, Greece, Marchant pursued an initial career in law, obtaining both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Law in London before transitioning to art.
Theodosia Marchant delves into human nature, emotions, and life's complexities, aiming to craft a timeless, universal art language.
Centered on intimacy and the psyche, her expressive works invite profound reflection, touching viewers deeply.
Interview with Teodosia Marchant:
1. THEODOSIA, BEAUTIFUL GREEK NAME, WHICH TRANSLATED MEANS GOD'S GIFT, I HAD TO GOOGLE, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THEO MEANS GOD. YOU WERE BORN IN ATHENS AND THEN LATER MOVED TO LONDON TO STUDY LAW. WHAT IS YOUR CONNECTION TO GREECE TODAY?
Greece is my first home; London is very special to me too. My family still lives in Athens, my parents live in the same house I grew up in and my sister lives closer to downtown Athens.
While in the US, before the birth of my son and the pandemic, I visited every year, but I have not been back for a while now, and I miss it terribly.
Also, I have this immense desire to show my country to my son so that he can hear the language, and it will then make sense to him why his mom speaks that language and insists on eating greek salads, etc.
Seriously, though, even though I have been away from Greece for over two decades, it is so much in my heart and thoughts, and I would love to be able to move back at some point.
2. YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER LIFE AS A LAWYER, EVEN THOUGH YOU MENTION THAT THERE IS A STRONG ARTISTIC INFLUENCE RUNNING THROUGH YOUR FAMILY.
HOW DID YOU GET SIDE TRACKED INTO LAW?
It never really crossed my mind to follow an art career.
I did indeed grow up in a very art enthusiastic and supportive family environment; my mother is a very talented artist and architect, but art was my hobby, relaxing my brain and having fun.
In my late teens, I wanted to travel the world, move out of Greece and be financially independent as quickly as possible.
3. AFTER LIVING IN LONDON YOU MOVED WITH YOUR PARTNER TO LOS ANGELES AND GRADUALLY BEGAN PAINTING PROFESSIONALLY, HOW DO YOU BELIEVE THE YEARS PRIOR PREPARED YOU OR HAVE AIDED YOU IN BECOMING THE ARTIST YOU ARE TODAY?
I had no clue what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and what a vast expectation of having of a young adult at that stage in the first place.
My sister, who is three years older, also studied law in France. So I decided to follow the same path.
The years I spent working as an attorney have aided me in becoming the artist I am today 100 percent.
I am grateful for the work experience I had, the life experiences that path allowed me to have, and which, in combination, shaped me into the person I am today.
I don't think I would have been the same artist if I had done what I do now straight out of school.
The drive now is different at my age.
It is fast-paced, exciting, and frightening sometimes how much I want this and to be good at it.
My experience as an attorney, or previous life as I call it, taught me to be reliable and disciplined, and show up to my art practice daily, including weekends, with no excuses.
Making good art requires practice and dedication.
It is not a hobby.
Coupled with the art business side is a full-time job and more.
4. COULD YOU WALK US THROUGH A WORK DAY IN YOUR STUDIO?
I have a home studio and share a larger space with another artist when I want to work on larger works.
But these days, I do most of it from home.
I love working from home.
I am in and out of my studio all day long, something I couldn't do if I had to travel.
Also, it works perfectly in combination with my son.
When he is out of school, it is easier to take care of him and for me to work from our house.
As soon as I drop him at school, my day usually starts with taking care of admin art business stuff.
The actual painting takes place after my son goes to bed, and I stay up late.
I try to balance the late nights by resting one night in between, so it works out, but when I have deadlines, things get a bit messier.
I don't enjoy working in the company of others. That sounds a bit antisocial.
I find creating art a pretty solitary practice where I want my thoughts not to be disturbed by external voices and opinions.
I like complete silence so I can hear only my thoughts, with no distractions.
5. WHAT ARE THE LAST 5 SONGS YOU WERE LISTENING TO WHILST PAINTING?
I wouldn't say I like listening to music while I paint or sitting in my studio during the planning process.
Of course, I love music, but it distracts me.
I listen to music to relax when taking a break, and recently I have been listening to a lot of Fado, Amalia Rodrigues, for example.
I find the melancholy that this type of music exhumes relaxing and takes me back to old memories. Generally, I prefer listening to low-key music in my house, but it's a different story in my car; Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails, etc., are my vibe. Perfect for LA traffic too.
6. ON YOUR WEBSITE YOU OFFER MURALS, COULD YOU SHARE SUCH A PROJECT WITH US, WHAT IS IT LIKE TO PAINT SO LARGE FOR YOU?
I have not completed a project yet, I would love to, but it feels like a separate field artistically-wise compared to studio practice and is something that requires me to explore more and get my name out.
Lately, it has been too busy, and I haven't had the opportunity to do so.
My focus is on other projects.
But I would love the prospect of painting a large wall and think my art would translate well on a wall.
7. ANY RECENT OR UPCOMING PROJECTS?
I recently created a line of skateboards for a Berlin-based company called Curare Skateboarding.
The original decks were exhibited in Hamburg with Millerntor Gallery as part of social art, music, and culture festival for clean water, a fundamental cause.
I have also been creating custom hand-painted clothing, now available through an LA-based boutique, In Heroes We Trust.
In the meantime, I am also planning and building two solo shows for the coming year, one in LA and one abroad.
8. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD?
That is all from my side; a big thank you for allowing me to tell my story, and ever so happy to connect and discover our common background similarities.
Perhaps we will meet in Greece next summer.
Additional Infos about Theodosia Marchant
Theodosia Marchant art has been showcased in several notable exhibitions.
Unspoken Dreams | Great Art Space Beverly Hills
Solo shows include "Unspoken Dreams" at Great Art Space in Beverly Hills and "Our Cosmos" at Artual Gallery in Beirut in 2023, as well as earlier shows like "Domestic Animals | Life in 16 Frames" and "The World of Others" both in Los Angeles in 2019.
For more about Theodosia Marchant and her art, you can visit her official website and follow her on social media to stay updated on her latest projects and exhibitions!
Theodosia Marchant
Theodosia Marchant writes also for Overstandard | Read the text here
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