As countless organizations, public figures and other individuals begin to offer tributes for this year’s 200th anniversary of Greek Independence, one artist from Virginia came up with — and recorded via time lapse — her own special celebration.
Well, not exactly a “celebration,” but rather the process of her painting a unique piece of art featuring the lyrics of the Greek national anthem “Hymn to Freedom,” written in 1823 by Dionysios Solomos.
The result is a piece titled “Freedom” by Theodora Miller, a contemporary artist based in Richmond whose signature elements are textural surfaces, intuitive marks, paint chips and saturated colors.
Miller has donated “Freedom” to the Greek Independence Day auction of the New York-based Greek America Foundation. The auction lasts from Thursday, March 25 until Thursday, April 1.
“Freedom” is currently available for bidding here.
Richmond-based artist Theodora Miller holds her “Freedom” painting. (Photo courtesy of Theodora Miller) 
“Freedom.” 18 x 24 x 1.5 inches. Acrylic painting on cradled wood panel. Inspired by the Greek national anthem. (Photo courtesy of Theodora Miller)
Miller tells The Pappas Post that she often reflects on childhood summers roaming the historic ruins of her Greek ancestors. She particularly cherishes virtues and symbols passed down through generations and savors the small moments of wisdom imparted around the dinner table.
One of the aforementioned virtues she values is that of “meraki,” which translates to the act of doing something with soul, creativity or love — the practice of putting oneself into work.
Miller did exactly that when she created “Freedom.” In the video below, the artist gives a brief story of her inspiration behind the work before showing her time lapse recording.
Video: Theodora Miller Creates “Freedom” Painting
Miller’s studio practice is exploratory in nature, combining layers of acrylic paint and paint chips with other media like ink, gouache, pencil, pastels and collage. She begins each piece with gestural brushstrokes and then follows her intuition to add or remove details, building up textural surfaces that add dimension to each composition.
Her calligraphic designs are an authentic expression of her Greek identity, merging memory, emotion and history into visual statements that are uniquely her own. Miller’s creations reside in corporate collections and private homes around the globe.
For more information, visit her website.
