“Because no one else has lived all the chapters of my life with me.”
So begins a moving tribute to the late Greek Cypriot artist Christella Demetriou, penned on what would have been her birthday, 24 May 2025. Six years since her passing, her presence is still deeply felt in the hearts of her loved ones — and vividly alive in her paintings, poetry, and music.
To honour her memory, a celebration of her life and legacy brought together tributes from the worlds of diplomacy, literature, and art, many of whom had witnessed firsthand the singular force of creativity that was Christella.
May, the month of flowers, spring, and renewal — the same month that brought both Christella and her father into the world — was described as the perfect time to mark her celestial birthday. It is, after all, a time of vibrant colour and deep symbolic resonance, much like Christella’s own palette.
Prominent art historian Dr Dora Rogan, Officer des Arts et Lettres, writes of her:
“Christella paints her visions with ingenious directness… She transforms metaphysical messages into a visual language. Through her Atopos series, she meets Plato’s definition of authentic art: not imitation, but the expression of an idea.”
Though she passed too soon, Christella’s work continues to inspire. Among those who never met her in person but were deeply moved by her legacy is Antonis Sammoutis, High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus to Australia.
“Unlike the rest of you, I haven’t met Christella. But her passion is imprinted in her art and music. Her photo reveals happiness mingled with sadness — the kind that marks a refugee child forced to leave her birthplace. The missing smile is a promise — a vow to return.”
Giorgos Veis, poet and former Ambassador of Greece, recalls her impact during his tenure in Melbourne (1994–1998):
“She offered much to art and music. Her ethos and education were evident. Her altruistic, responsible contribution to culture enriched us all. Christella cannot be forgotten.”
Close friend and poet Sotiris Kakisis offers perhaps the most lyrical reflection:
“Her painting is music — ancient music. A melody of colour, her colours. Her darkness is all light! Her paintings are hearts related to her own, connected by ideal arteries.”
He likens her art to an ancient Greek poem by Asklepiades:
“Does it matter that she is black? Coal glows like roses when it burns.”
Professor Anna Chatzinikolaou, a Modern Greek scholar, traces the influence of Australian art on Christella’s work. In her painting Washing Death Away, she reinterprets Arthur Boyd’s Nude Washing in the Creek, transporting the Australian landscape to the Kytherian waterfalls of Milopotamos — merging loss, memory, and cultural identity.
Christella’s six-piece series Mitata, Kythera (2008) is permanently on display at the Greek Consulate of Melbourne — in South Melbourne, where she was raised. Her Fish Triptych was visited earlier this year by acclaimed singer Jeannie Lewis, who commemorated her own birthday by paying tribute to her late friend, accompanied by Christella’s collaborator Andrea.
“Happy birthday, ethereal petite monster tooth.”
This affectionate nickname — inspired by Christella’s childhood pointy front tooth — closes a heartfelt tribute. Her legacy endures through colours described as “explosions of beauty,” and in the belief that in a twisted world, we are still capable of love because we can still feel the heartbeat of the hearts she painted.
