Anaïda Melivia Vassaliadou (Cyprus, 2003) creates surreal and terrifying creatures that explore the parts of ourselves that we tend to suppress — everything that is ugly, strange or socially excluded. For her graduation project, she is developing a performance in which she investigates how we can accept these hidden sides of ourselves.
“In Cyprus I took classes in academic art: drawing from a figure, painting still lifes and how to build a portfolio. When I moved to the Netherlands at the age of seventeen to study at the Minerva Academy, I quickly felt stuck. I was making art, but what I was making didn’t feel right. One day I bought clay at the Action, made a mask and did a photo shoot with a friend. When I saw the mask on a body, and could see how it changed the person wearing it, that was a turning point for me. It felt more alive than anything I had made before. That’s when I realized: this is what I want to do.
“I use textiles, silicone, papier-mâché, clay and hair — anything I can get my hands on.”
I create creatures that move between the familiar and the absurd. They are almost human, but not. Because of that gap, they feel unsettling and yet relatable. I use textiles, silicone, papier-mâché, clay, and hair—anything I can get my hands on. Sometimes I sketch first, then look for features that disturb me but also attract me. Once I really start making, I quickly let the materials themselves guide me. I work very intuitively. I create first; the concept of the performance follows naturally. For my graduation project, I am working with a producer and two performers on a performance about unwanted dreams; how dreams force us to face parts of ourselves that we try to ignore. The performers wear my masks and together we shape the final work.
After my studies, I want to further explore set and costume design, collaborate with other artists, and find a residency. My work fits naturally into the theater and I want to see where that takes me.”
Anaïda Melivia's graduation work can be found from 14 to 19 June 2025 in SIGN (Winschoterkade 10), as part of the Graduation Show of Academie Minerva. More information about Anaïda's work in SIGN can be found via Anaida Melivia | Minerva and via her Instagram: @anaida_melivia
This article previously appeared KUNST. magazine #3 (p. 38)
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