Extracts from "Greek Diplomatic Life" magazine.
What fascinates about Villarroel is her many-sided creativeness in a number of art forms, but a creativeness and imagination and depth which are more emotionally revealed in her painting and her poetry. In both are reflected and blended the influences of her two loves – Greece and her native Venezuela.
Towards the end of the year 1984, Emi Panagou, the discerning journalist and art critic comments on Villarroel´s catholicity and breadth of response in an article on her poetry; the comments are directly applicable to her painting. Emy Panagou, points out in the following quotation from her article:
Irma Villarroel belongs to that group of Philhellenes whose heart lies half in Venezuela and half in Greece. Her roots are in the country of her birth, but it is here in Greece that the branches bloomed and bore fruit. It is here in Greece that she paints, writes poetry, struggles to pour out the deep river of sound and colour that seeks expression within her. She herself in one of her poems write: “Next to the empty skin, I paint the traces of the steps over the rocks – the faces which remain in the memory - the white walls in the Mediterranean - scenes of the past – horizons outlined in marble and mountain, hills, cities, olive-groves, centuries” … “Sun–swept, hot sun flames on the black road, never-ending and serpentine, permeating the white green grass, the living plain, the crazy sand dancing wildly under the midday sun: white-gray, white-black, white sky. Light!”
It is this light which is the essence of both the painting and poetic imagination of Irma and inspires so much of her work. The colours and forms and words spring from a belief, a deep-rooted philosophy, itself expressed in beautiful images of movement and colour. She creates and atmosphere of both light and mystery, blended by her talent into a harmonious unity.
Irma Villarroel belongs to that group of Philhellenes whose heart lies half in Venezuela and half in Greece. Her roots are in the country of her birth, but it is here in Greece that the branches bloomed and bore fruit. It is here in Greece that she paints, writes poetry, struggles to pour out the deep river of sound and colour that seeks expression within her. She herself in one of her poems write: “Next to the empty skin, I paint the traces of the steps over the rocks – the faces which remain in the memory - the white walls in the Mediterranean - scenes of the past – horizons outlined in marble and mountain, hills, cities, olive-groves, centuries” … “Sun–swept, hot sun flames on the black road, never-ending and serpentine, permeating the white green grass, the living plain, the crazy sand dancing wildly under the midday sun: white-gray, white-black, white sky. Light!”
It is this light which is the essence of both the painting and poetic imagination of Irma and inspires so much of her work. The colours and forms and words spring from a belief, a deep-rooted philosophy, itself expressed in beautiful images of movement and colour. She creates and atmosphere of both light and mystery, blended by her talent into a harmonious unity.
Her individual and characteristic style is recognized at once by those who have followed her career. She has exhibited on many occasions; her latest were in Mexico, Venezuela and Bulgaria. Painting by her can be found in many private collections all over the world.
The forthcoming exhibition at the Gallery "Antinor" should be particularly interesting because it reveals new facets and developments in Irma Villarroel´s painting philosopy and techniwues."
