Dèspina Charitonidi was born in Athens in 1991. In 2010 she enrolled at the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art of Athens where she attended the sculpture class of Kyriakos Rokos. In 2011 she leaves Greece to become a creator rather than a conservator. At the same year she enrolls at the School of  Fine Arts of  Rome (Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma) where she studies traditional sculpture. In 2013 she transfers at the HKU University of Arts of Utrecht (Hoogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht) where she completes her studies with a main focus on installation and performance. 

 

"I compose my ideas in practice by synthesising the complex stimuli hidden in my social environment. The nature of my artwork is defined by its process, where I find its exact adaptable form -be it a monumental installation or an ephemeral performance; undeniably process plays a crucial role to my end result. 

 

In performances the core idea begins by the human act, where the presence of the artist challenges the audience in a vivid and interactive way. Since the physical communication almost effortlessly and directly provides a common understanding, I find this as the ideal way for my ideas to come across. Most of my performances treat the body as a tool of limited capabilities, uncontrolled fragility and mimic repetition. Αs I come from a family of builders I feel comfortable and more familiar to work with construction materials, which at the same time does not restrict me from approaching more delicate mediums, such as ceramics. Many of my works introduce the notions of weight, balance and power."