Georgia Bountros is a leather sculptor trained in fine bookbinder. Her work depict stories using three-dimensional figurative subjects, life-size scales, and leather marquetry.
I have always been interested in doors, how they can let you in or shut you out, protect or bar you.
The doors, I hope, create an exciting sense of anticipation of what’s behind them and herald a different way of viewing another more ancient world, which shares the same theme, our origins.
The twilight scene depicted on the doors with the mountains in the distance serves as a metaphor for the distance of our past and the twilight ethereal figures of the Gods.
Dimensions: 2 Doors 78cm x 200cm, cedar Panels 55cm x 165cm
Material: Blue Pentlam goat background, black cow hide at the bottom and hand coloured kangaroo for the red poppies and hand coloured green stems. The stars and moon are mother of pearl.
The hands are there to usher you through the doors and introduce the rest of the work. The wheat design symbolizes the historical imperative that once the food source is secure then other philosophical, artistic and religious pursuits can be explored.
Dimensions: Life size scale
Materials ; paper-mache /clay covered with leather black Pentlam goat and inlaid with hand dyed kangaroo for the wheat, the red key design and the blue flourishes.
The Greek column depicting the tree of golden apples guarded by the three nymphs call the Hesperides, with the serpent and Hygeia (good health personified) seated. This scene is taken from a large hydria (water vessel) dating from approximately 410 BCE and is representative of the work done by Meidias a painter 420 – 400 BCE.
In this case Hygeia is preparing to eat an apple which depicts the two figures of Adam and Eve.
Dimensions: Column 200cm, top pediment 40cm x 40cm, bottom pediment 42cm x 42cm.
Material: Covered in cow hide inlaid with Pentlam goat leaves, python skin for the serpent, eel for the tree / bark, hand coloured kangaroo for the figures and 22ct gold leaf inlay for the golden apples and the cloud.
The body is embellished with 7000BCE stone-age Greek pottery motifs. He’s covered in a terracotta coloured leather to resemble an amphora but instead of water he holds an ancient story of Zeus and Hera. He is held together with a sash similar to that used for a terracotta amphora to resist shattering and cracking. Like the story, Zeus is protected and complete.
His hands are outstretched holding the apple of love given to him by Hera as a wedding present. He is also covered in an olive branch design an ancient symbol of love, harmony and the renewal of life.
A collaboration with Constantinos Bouropoulos.
Dimensions: Height 170cm + 8cm pediment x Width 72cm x Length 110cm, made with Hydrocal.
Material: Covered with terracotta coloured skiver. Inlaid with hand coloured skiver olive leaves, blue crown and clouds. Apple has 22ct gold leaf.
