Artists

The architectural identity of a building describes its character and atmosphere, shaped by its materials, spatial structure and the stories embedded within it. Alexandra Taoukidou (she/her) applies this concept to people: to the spaces in which we grew up, the floor plans and surroundings of our former homes. The precise lines of the plans intersect with translucent layers of shifting memories, thus coalescing into emotional counter-designs to rational architecture. In Relocation Project, plans drawn from memory overlap. Topography of Memory depicts the place where Alexandra spent her summers as a child with her grandparents. 

But you won’t find it on GoogleMaps: time has transformed the spaces. Ode to Childhood transforms the motif of the playhouse into a spatial reference point of memory. The fragility and transparency of the materials allude to the vulnerability of this early stage of life and to the lasting impact our surroundings have on us.

What role does absence play in your work?
The initial thought of absence is linked to the lack of human representation. The figure is replaced with the viewer, who consequently becomes part of the work. On a deeper level, absence is already an existing element within the work. It emerges through translocation, displacement, faded memory or loss.

What draws you to graphite as a material, and how has your relationship to colour developed over time?
I worked with oil on anatomical studies at art school. Graphite is subtle and versatile. It takes consecutive layers until it creates the metallic effect I chase. The successive process of adding and removing material, working with different pressures and degrees of softness, almost becomes an exercise in perseverance.

When you begin a drawing, do you already know where it is going?
I create rough sketches to experiment and develop an idea that feels right. I usually begin with a clear vision but the image often changes direction multiple times.