Reconciliation and obstinacy, 1996
From her first theme series in the 1970 to the present, Vana Xenou has attempted approaches which are based on the study of literary, historical, archaeological, philosophical, and artistic sources, and on their plastic transformation with references back to concepts which are rendered with strong symbolisms.
From 'Odalisks', of 1978 - 1987, the series 'Judith and Holophernes', of 1983, or the series 'Eleusinian Mysteries', of 1991 onwards, whether in works of painting or compositions in space with sculptures, an intense quest for symbolism and the rendering of a hidden concealed truth is observable. This is a symbolism which attempts by the power of form to reveal a new reality which unites the old with the new, antiquity with the modern age.
For the 'Tribute to Periklis Pantazis' exhibition, she created a water-colour entitled Reconciliation and Obstinacy. The composition of the work shows two couples, reversed at their base, against a monochrome background, brown on the upper and black on the lower part. By plain and simple means as to the lack of colour, the line, the background, and the rendering of the facial features, the artist renders the opposing compositions with fluidity of space and allusive development of the design. In the upper part, Reconciliation, the united heads convey communication, with a touch of the lips of the one form on the cheek of the other and a gesture of approach with the hand. In the lower, reversed, part - Obstinacy - the figures demonstrate distance, gazing fiercely in different directions, while the hand supporting the face connotes thoughtfulness. A kind of spirituality of the depiction by means of suggestion propounds a mystery, leading to symbolism.