Maryam Rezaei
Chrissoula Manolakaki
Panos Chreppas
Stamatis Tsagias
Asimeni TountaVasia Hatzi
As a young child, I had many concerns and interests… When they asked me what I loved, no matter what the topic, I always found it hard to give an answer, as it was never one specific thing. Most of the time my answer would be two or more opposite poles… e.g. what are my favourite cars? Jeeps and fast cars, or what music I like? Opera and hard rock, or what career I wanted to follow? Almost every career you can imagine! So most of my young life I was mostly confused, as it wasn’t really “normal” to not have one answer or one specific interest! Today I met a woman who hasn’t just reconciled with her poles but has made an “interconnection” between biology and art! Vasia Hatzi is a woman of many layers… layers that have interdependence and connect harmoniously from within. When you see her, you realise what she is doing, is in perfect equilibrium with her outer and inner self! Vasia is extra calm, precise; in control… everything about her looks is perfect and flawless; from her eye brows, hair style and clothing. She is statuesque and elegant from the outside while inside, passionate, curious, a relentless researcher.
Vasia was born in a family where art and science coexisted… her mother an artist, her father a professor in medical university and her grandfather, George Sikeliotis, an icon among Greek painters. Art and science was deep within her and not something she could ignore. However she focused on her science side and received her PhD in Cytogenetics. And for many years Vasia was working in research focusing towards the cellular world under the microscope, the effects of chemicals and radiation exposures and the mechanisms of chromosomal damage and carcinogenesis. She has been nominated with 2 scholarships and 5 awards for presentations in international scientific conferences. Co-author of 30 peer reviewed publications, 4 book chapters, 70 presentations and abstracts in European and International Conferences, translator of on book of Genetics, reviewer in 12 International journals and member of 5 International Societies. An impeccable science career! Vasia Hatzi, started explaining her work using scientific words, and you can only imagine me sitting across her not understanding one word :)), until of course when she started bringing her art inside her work!
While she was working as researcher at NCSR “Demokritos” she started experimenting with jewelry… not any kind of jewelry; bio-conceptual creations as she calls it! Creations that are a transformation of what she sees under the microscope into exceptionally beautiful work of art jewelries. Where each piece has a description of what it is and what it represents in real life… She gives “life” to art, bringing what is inside us and every living organism, outside where everyone can see!
And that’s not all; Vasia Hatzi is so committed in connecting the world of Science with the world of Art, that she created an online community for “like-minded, talented” scientist to meet and express their work! MEDinART is a global and continuously growing platform that links bio-medical sciences with arts and features the work of 150 artists, from more than 30 countries, that are inspired by all the aspects of biomedical sciences.
The truth is that she is showing us and the world that Science is Art and Art is Science… an interconnection that exist harmoniously within us.
http://www.la-b.gr
