Classical myths centering female protagonists are the starting point for a series of nine collages by Kalliopim Lemos titled Exploration of the Feminine (2021). Lemos combined hand-made Japanese paper, Italian Permagenta paper, cuttings from fashion magazines, and her own drawn and painted images, to produce startling and sometimes comic tableaus set inside architectural settings. An ongoing focus for Lemos over several decades of work has been human rights and female oppression, challenging the viewer and encouraging reflection and discussion. Here, drawing on ancient archetypes, she wittily meditates on the multitude of sensations, challenges, and possibilities contained within the notion of ‘the feminine’.

Aphrodite (2021) depicts the head and shoulders of Aphrodite, and with her face shown in profile in Lemos' oil painted section, resembling a sculptural bust or relief. Next to her perches an owl, directing its gaze out to the viewer. Goddess and bird are set in a dramatic white, red and blue architectural space, with a grid of tiles on the floor and a rippling light blue motif flowing around the walls. Aphrodite is usually associated with doves symbolisng love, whereas the owl is most closely associated with another Greek goddess, Athena.