Lia Lapithi

Lia Lapithi was born in Nicosia, Cyprus,^[4] in 1963. She studied Art and Environmental Design at the University of California Santa Cruz, followed by a Master of Philosophy at Lancaster University.^[3] After her studies she returned to Cyprus in 1984.^[3] She continued her studies in 1989, obtaining a Master's degree in Architecture from the Kent Institute of Art and Design in 1991, followed by a Masters in Art Education from the University of Wales in 1994.^[5]

Her work focused initially on landscape and still-life painting through the use of technology,^[6] followed by medical art,^[3] evolving over time to also address environmental and political issues, including collective memory,^[2] nationalist historiography^[7] and the Cyprus Dispute.^[8] She has been credited for creating the first Cypriot feminist art group in 2006, called "Washing-Up Ladies".^[1] The group has addressed topics ranging from the relationship of women to contemporary Cypriot politics, to women's gender roles in Cypriot society.^[9] Lapithi's work has also been hosted by various museums and galleries, while numerous of her pieces form part of permanent museum collections.^[3] During her career she has exhibited her work in various locations, including in Athens, Alexandria, Paris, Vienna and Constantinople.^[3] In 2023, she also gained international attention as a core contributor to the Cyprus pavilion at the 18th Venice Biennale of Architecture, presenting the project From Khirokitia to Mars, which explored social sustainability, cultural heritage, and space exploration.^{[10][11][12][13][14][15]}

Works of Lia Lapithi held in permanent museum collections include:^[16][17]

• “Still-life III”, “Mechanical Billboard I”, “Blue Legs”, “Leg Operation video”, “Circulation Bed”, “Test Tube Bed”, “Olive-bread” “Defining Silence”, “Peace-Dinner” and "82,5km", held by the Cypriot State Collection of Contemporary Art in Nicosia, Cyprus.
• "Marinated Crushed Olives" (video), held by Centre Pompidou in Paris, France.
• "Marinated Crushed Olives" (video), held by the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations in Marseille, France.
• "Requiem pour un oiseau rebelle" (installation), held by the Musées de la ville de Marseille in France.
• "Defining Silence", held by the BPS22 Musee d’Art de la Provence de Hainut-Charlerois in Belgium.

• 2011 Suspended Spaces #1 Famagusta - Blackjack editions (Montreuil, France) ISBN 978-2-918063-10-0.
• 2012 Suspended Spaces #2 Blackjack editions (Paris) ISBN 978-2-918063-25-4.
• 2012 Contre Nature, Musee Departemental de l’Oise-Beauvais, ISBN 978-2-901290-25-4.
• 2014 Ethiques du gout, Editions L’ Harmattan, ISBN 978-2-343-03903-9.
• 2014 Suspended Spaces #3, Les Editions de l’ Ecole des Beaux Arts.