Μato Ioannidou

Screenshots

My previous work, entitled “Mimesis of Action,” focused on the figures of ancient Greek tragedy—Antigone, Oedipus, Creon, Electra, Orestes, Clytemnestra, Phaedra, Medea…

The tragic figures were static, with the intention that each chosen pose would condense the entire emotional weight of each character—their anguish.

‘Screen shots’ is the title of this series.

In these new works I have journeyed from anguish to ecstasy. Watching Yorgos Lanthimos’ film Poor Things, I was particularly struck by Bella Baxter—through Emma Stone’s “sweeping and fearless performance”, and I began a series of works inspired by the scenes of liberating dance performed by this modern “tragic” heroine.Bella is “born” and gradually discovers her female identity over the course of the film. In one scene, her dancing evokes a sense of perpetual bodily movement – a continuous, existential vibration. This momentum led me towards new visual solutions: sometimes the figure multiplies into its own reflection; at other times, through collage, I imitate the folds of her dress and the wild motion of her abundant hair; elsewhere, matter and gesture merge in a fluid continuum.

In the more recent works I turned to the palette knife, to colour and texture in their full intensity, and to a more abstract line. The sequence closes with India ink drawings overlaid with rice paper bearing images of ancient dance reliefs.

This ecstasy of Bella is particularly evident in her face. Through a series of India ink studies I attempted to capture her astonished gaze at life itself. Ultimately, Bella is a cry…

Dance… (… )

Dance is not a cultural event fixed in time and space, but a danced transformation of time, space, and the body itself…A departure from the useful, dance becomes a poetic act… an intoxication of the senses, pursued to the point of exhaustion…—Paul Valéry

   September 2025

Bia Papadopoulou, Art Historian

Mato Ioannidou. Screenshots

Mato Ioannidou’s exhibition Screenshots is inspired by Yorgos Lanthimos’ 2023 science-fiction film Poor Things, set in Victorian England. The title refers directly to the artist’s working method: the use of digital film stills captured from online sources as the basis for her compositions.

Ioannidou concentrates on the film’s central character, Bella Baxter, the result of an unconventional scientific experiment—a hybrid figure combining an adult female body with the brain of an unborn fetus. As Bella’s cognitive capacity rapidly evolves, she begins to articulate her female identity and uninhibited sexuality. Her atypical mind operates free from social conventions and gendered preconceptions.

The works focus primarily on the character’s exuberant dance sequence set in a grand Lisbon ballroom. Ioannidou adopts an abstract visual language that accentuates Bella’s physicality. She omits facial features, narrative detail, and—in most cases—excludes the figure of Duncan, Bella’s dance partner in the film. Architectural elements are largely removed, with only occasional references to the space’s arches and warm golden illumination.

The paintings capture isolated, transient moments from Bella’s dynamic movement, bodily expressiveness, and rhythmic intensity. Repetition of the figure within a single work creates layered visual sequences that convey motion and energy, forming an improvised choreographic structure. This multiplication also subtly references the multifaceted roles often imposed on women in contemporary society.

Ioannidou explores diverse materials and techniques, reflecting a sustained interest in process. She employs cork stamps, collage, India ink, charcoal, oils, watercolours, mixed media, and various tools including brushes, pencils, and palette knives. Gold and aluminium leaf are incorporated into several works. She also creates palimpsestic compositions using rice paper to overlay or combine multiple scenes.

Two small-format series executed in ink and watercolour depict the actress Emma Stone, Lanthimos’ principal collaborator. Rendered with expressive clarity, these works highlight the distinctive presence, emotional intensity, and sense of freedom associated with the character she portrays.

Through this body of work, Ioannidou aligns herself with the character of Bella—embracing her authenticity, spontaneity, exploratory drive, and her resistance to social and psychological constraints.

Octomber 2025