eleni kadigkou – Page 2

Jenny Saville’s exhibiton “Elpis” at Gagosian draws inspiration from Greek mythology , look how we reply

Captured and painted on the left by Panagiotis Kadigkos

On the right JENNY SAVILLE Prism, 2020
Pastel on linen 78 3/4 x 63 in
200 x 160 cm
**© Jenny Saville**
**Photo: Prudence Cuming**
**Courtesy Gagosian**

Only Elpis [Hope] was left within her unbreakable house,
she remained under the lip of the jar, and did not
fly away. Before [she could], Pandora replaced the
lid of the jar. This was the will of aegis-bearing
Zeus the Cloudgatherer.
—Hesiod, Works and Days

Gagosian’s New York gallery reopened on November 12th 2020 after the pandemic-related shutdown in March displaying a not at all incidental exhibition but an extremely relevant .Jenny Saville’s exhibition titled “Elpis” stands for Hope in Greek and finds its roots at the ancient Greek poet Hesiod and its poem Work and days related to the myth of Pandora .

JENNY SAVILLE
Elpis, installation view, 2020
**© Jenny Saville**
**Photo: Rob McKeever**
**Courtesy Gagosian**

During her career the viewer has encountered clear references on Greek mythology . Her oeuvre draws inspiration from archaic Greek and classical sculptures , and how it couldn’t ? Jenny Saville is known for her large-scale painted depictions of nude bodies especially obese women whereas her radical techniques challenged the art world , and many times on her work we encounter the ambiguity of gender .

JENNY SAVILLE
Virtual, 2020
Oil on canvas
78 3/4 x 63 in
200 x 160 cm
**© Jenny Saville**
**Courtesy Gagosian**

Her contribution to the contemporary figurative painting is pivotal , such as Egon Schiele was in the early 20th century . Back on 2014 Kunsthaus Zurich presented an exhibition displaying artworks of both of them , it was a dialogue among two artists who pay homage to the human body , they have a unique way of depicting it but also self-portray themselves quite often . In that exhibition paintings were imbued with eroticism , distinctive characteristic of both of their paintings . Jenny has been asked in an interview about that matter and declared the following :”It has become more and more important, I would say. Instead of erotic in a sexual sense, I would say erotic in a life force or drive.”

On the left Reclining Woman ,Egon Schiele 1917 ,Leopold Museum On the right *Oxyrhynchus* (2012–14), Jenny Saville © ProLitteris, Zürich

But on “Elpis” Saville forget for a while the bodies and focusing on portraying faces . A visit to Moscow , had her fascinated by people’s faces there , with no hesitation she booked a studio there and worked with photographs of the models she found more appropriate for this project .The vivid colour palette and the brushstrokes , the childish-like depiction of the faces , the innocence and the hope are so evident on the eyes of her portraits . You can profoundly feel that optimism and the gaze on the bright future .

The first painting I saw from the exhibition was Second Nature , 2020 and it literally hit me and blew my mind . Along with my collaborator photographer who has also drawing and painting skills we addressed the project of depict Jenny Saville’s work .He painted my face , took pictures and edited them . The result may seems not so close to her artworks but we wanted to make an ode to her astonishing work and pay homage to that woman , who is a living legend.

Images and painting Panagiotis Kadigkos

The exhibition will remain open until 22nd of December at Gagosian Gallery 980 Madison Avenue
New York, ny 10075

Eleni Kadigkou Xx

18 December 202019 December 2020

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Butt lift workout , the ultimate way to hit the top

Hey there ! If you happened to be in a lockdown mode and miss your gym or any kind of training you used to do , we are here to suggest you some exercises to give a lift and a-look-alike bubble butt .

Does it take a long way “to the top” ? Well , the answer depends on your current physical condition . But trust me once you add the following exercises on a weekly routine , you can never go wrong . Even if your relationship with gymnastic seems bad you can always make up with her. There is no magic trick to change your body , but once you set a realistic and approachable goal it’s on your hand to focus on it .No more lazy days and excuses , you can have the body of your dreams by following the steps below . A balanced diet would be a plus in order to achieve the aim you have set .

Concerning my personal fitness routine I try to workout almost everyday . After a pause of months I begun exercising again back on March with 20 to 30 minutes 4 times a week but lately I workout at least 5 times per week 1hour +15minutes to 2 hours a day . I understand that may seems hard , but that used to be my normality few years ago when I had the physical condition and the body posture of my dreams . With Covid-19 many of us had to amend our workout routine , but we are in 2020 and everything is possible there are countless of free online programs and videos to watch , you can always take advantage of outdoors activity and the most important you can trust the specialists and have an online personal trainer who will focus and work with you upon your needs .I switch between running , cycling , ballet workout , yoga ,pilates , jumping rope ,dancing ,aerobic ,cardio and etc. As you have already known there are plenty of choices to pick out accordingly to your preferences . Slowly , slowly I regained my strength but to retain a good physical condition is an ongoing progress .

Photos Panagiotis Kadigkos

Athleisure set by PCP clothing , you can follow on instagram too

The following exercises that will be featured come from Sophie Kinalopoulou , a beautiful friend of mine but beside that an educated woman . Sophie is an advanced health and exercise specialist and an online coach (long before the lockdowns ,she is ahead of her time ) . Soon an interview and a more detailed article about her and her work on Escape Karma . Follow her on instagram , for more ideas on exercising and healthy meals :Sophiekinal

Here two of her sets on Booty Activation ,Part1 and Part2 , which I swear by them !

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sophie Kinalopoulou (@sophiekinal)

Part 1

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sophie Kinalopoulou (@sophiekinal)

Another quick and easy workout for bubble butt is the following one I discovered on youtube during the quarantine days .

Daisy Keech youtube channel

You can follow Daisy Keech on instagram

Additionally you can search and download images like the one below to take a quick look and do some reps during the day .

Enough said it’s time to act ! Leave your couches and make your body sweat .In the end who is going to be grateful with the result other than yourself ? Waiting for your suggestions and your results . Don’t hesitate !

Eleni Kadigkou Xx

16 December 202017 December 2020

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Tips for beautiful and hydrated hands during the winter time

During the winter time the cold weather , the windy days and especially the temperature fluctuations , (using warm water and then be exposed to the cold ) are the usual suspects for dry and rough hands . Also we are amid a pandemic and COVID-19 changed some of our habits ,lately we have been using hand sanitizer exceedingly which of course it’s life saving but its antiseptic effect exacerbates the dryness . Today I will share with you some of my remedies and tips in order to keep our hands beautiful and hydrated when the weather turns bad .

Exfoliation is the key word . When your hands are suffering using a balsam or a cream is not enough to heal them . There are plenty of scrubs for the whole body and also specialized for the hands but you can have your diy with simple materials from your kitchen . You will need brown sugar and coconut oil (Bio if it’s possible ) .

DIY Scrub

3 tablespoon Bio coconut oil
2 tablespoon brown sugar

Combine the two ingredients in one bowl mix them good , spread it on the surface of your hands and rub gently .Wash your hands and then treat them with your favourite hand cream . Also you can use a brush like the one in the photos to do dry brushing and remove all the dead skin cells but I don’t recommend it if your hands are in a bad condition .Another great tip that I kept it from my grandmother is to use lemon , take one ,cut it on the half and right away rub down the problematic areas . For SOS occasions you can try an overnight treatment , you can choose between the ones that you can find on the markets ,package with gloves and balm, or you can make your own , simply combine olive oil and lemon spread it on your hands and then wear cotton gloves over night .

Currently I am using this hand cream from Apivita and I am quite satisfied . Last two tips , I also use this wild rose face oil occasionally from Korres in order to keep the surface of the hands young , and I never leave home without my gloves .

The Vegan option by Aesop , +NET Sustain Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm
The luxurious one by La Mer ,The Hand Treatment
The Greek natural way by Korres
The best seller product Jo Malone Vitamin E Nourishing Hand Cream
The Necessary Duo, Molton Brown Pink Pepperpod Hand Lotion and Hand Wash
The Honey scrub by Pegy Sage
The aloe vera hand mask by Sephora

Hope you will find useful my suggestions and tips for the hands . Another article for how to keep them young and spotless will follow , plus when we return to normality we will have also nail related themes . Waiting for your advices and don’t hesitate to contact me . Till next time !

Eleni Kadigkou Xx

4 December 202015 December 2020

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celery juice , have you tried this nutriotinal trend yet ?

First of all , let me say this just because I added on my morning ritual doesn’t mean I follow blindly this trend or that I claim that the juice is a miraculous one and has the ability to heal chronic diseases .Fruits and vegetables have been added on my diet for many years now but it was around 2 or 3 years ago that I tried celery on my smoothies beside the common use , soups ,salads and etc . But this is a different one , we are talking about plain , fresh 100% celery juice (to be honest I add a few drops of lemon sometimes ) .

But how did it turned to be a huge nutritional trend ? Celery juice gain popularity through Anthony’s William book Celery Juice :The most powerful medicine of our time healing ,who’s not a doctor or a nutritionist , but many celebrities , thousands of people in the US and around the globe and as well Gwyneth Paltrow ( featuring Anthony on her website Goop )swear by it . I am not here to mislead and especially when concerning to medical issues neither I am the kind of the person who follows the herd . I only wish to share my own experience and the to do steps in case you are willing to give it a try too .

I won’t insist on nutritional information and composition of the vegetable but I have to mention some of the benefits that provide . Have you ever noticed that celery looks alike human bones ?

Actually beside the appearance, they have another thing in common – they contain 23% sodium, just like our bones . Celery is a great source of silicon which helps with the structure of our bones to keep them strong and healthy. Furthermore celery has an alkalizing effect ,with minerals like magnesium, iron, and sodium, celery can have a neutralizing effect on acidic foods and helps to balance our PH . Also its anti-inflammatory effect is ideal to use celery juice for detoxifying our liver and heal our gut .

Lastly celery contains a particular compound called coumarins which promotes the activity of white blood cells and assists the vascular system. This helps the blood flow, reduces blood pressure and purifies the bloodstream .The sodium in celery also maintains the fluidity of the blood and lymph fluids, preventing them from becoming too thick. For more information you can check thoroughly on medical and nutritional website , books and researches .

Before we continue to the making process allow me to share my personal experience and the reason I added on my morning ritual . Have been suffering from abdominal bloating effect , my stomach ,even if I follow a healthy diet, isn’t working right plus I have some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome . That means that the past few years in the morning time the first think I do is to drink something like warm water with lemon and turmeric or do a juice cleanse program in order to aid digestion and for 30 minutes after that I don’t eat or drink something else . Alongside I do studies to be a sommelier and also I ‘ve got a certification in spirits , part of the training is the tasting although you don’t have to drink all of them (!!!) but I like wine so sometimes I feel the need to detoxifying my liver cause generally my diet is quite balanced .

What I’ve noticed so far are the following :

My digestion works better not all but most of the days that I drink the juice
My skin looks a lot better and clean , especially the eye area (puffiness and dark circles )
My energy levels are getting higher and the effect of fatigue is lower than ever ( to mention also the interval of 30 minutes that I have to wait before breakfast I reclaim it and go for running )

Recipe

1 head of celery, stalks separated

Rinse the celery ,chop the stalks and run it through a juicer.
Drink immediately.
Alternatively, you can chop the celery and blend it in a high-speed blender until smooth. Strain and drink immediately.
Then wait from 15 to 30 minutes until you have breakfast or coffee .

That was all for this time . I don’t recommend Celery juice as a remedy for chronic diseases but after all its hydrating and vegetables are rich on nutritional value . If you have already tried it feel free to share your story otherwise if you are willing to share your feedback anytime .

Eleni Kadigkou Xx

Photographer : Panagiotis Kadigkos

20 November 202015 December 2020

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in which era do you prefer to have lived ?

“A woman’s guess is much more accurate than a man’s certainty ” ,
Rudyard Kipling

My response to the question of the title is the era we are going through ; but I am fortunate to have the opportunity to transform ,through the photo shootings we provide with my collaborator , cousin and photographer , into characters of all times .

We are on the firsts days of the general Lockdown , happened on the November , in our country Greece and we have just reunite with my collaborator . Starting discussing about what we should shoot next and he proposed to depict a classical painting . Then the idea pop-uped in my brain , did a quick research and a Lavinia’s Fontana painting caught my attention .

Portrait of a Lady of the Court with a Dog ,1590 Lavinia Fontana ,Private Collection

Her pale face and her red hair resembling to mine were the crucial element in order to end up with this choice , but her posture and sight were flaunted dominance and certainty of a woman living around the 16th century , so I wanted to empower women of all the eras .

The idea immediately adjusted to our project and soon we were addressing the clothes , the hair and the whole scenery .

Photo credits Panagiotis Kadigkos

The painting responds to the art movement of mannerism ,also known as a Late Renaissance ,a style which emerged in the later years of High Renaissance , around the 1520 till the end of the 16th century in Italy .Notable names to be mentioned ,except Lavinia Fontana ,are El Greco and Giuseppe Arcimboldo .The colour pallet of the artwork is much brighter than our final result , firstly because of the light and the scenery that was available that time and secondly our version is according to our aesthetics .

Nevertheless , the painting was the trigger point for accomplishing this shooting and pay homage to women of the past ,of the present and the future .Something similar did the Museo del Prado the past October , in the context of the celebration of its Bicentenary , presented an exhibition called “A Tale of Two Women Painters: Sofonisba Anguissola and Lavinia Fontana” honouring the female artists of the second half of 16th century .Lavinia is considered to be the first professional female artist while Sofonisba was born to an aristocratic family and she never received fee for her services .

To sum it , up we gave a twist on a late renaissance painting ,but what I would like you to keep is that women were never the fairer sex . Women are strong by their nature , they have opinion ,they are political , sentimental ,creative ,innovators ; you can distinguish it by their imposing presence and their sight , by the way they think and act .

Eleni Kadigkou Xx

Photographer : Panagiotis Kadigkos

Model : Eleni Kadigkou

Featuring Shirt : Rococo

19 November 202015 December 2020

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