Christina Stavri Sakka

You were born in Australia to Cypriot parents and spent your childhood on a farm in the Northern Territory. How did this environment shape your earliest understanding of nature and creativity?

Growing up on a farm in Australia meant that nature was simply part of my everyday life. I learned to appreciate the beauty of the world around me from an early age. The Australian landscape is vibrant, with lush colours thanks to its abundant rainfall. Visiting Cyprus throughout my childhood gave me the opportunity to experience a completely different natural environment, from its beautiful Mediterranean beaches and pine-covered mountains to its vast rustic countryside. I believe this rich contrast between the Australian and Cypriot landscapes has profoundly influenced my work. Experiencing the beauty of two very different parts of the world has shaped the way I see nature and continues to inspire the colours, atmosphere, and subjects I paint.

Christina Stavri Sakka | Flamin’ Gold | 2026

You showed an interest in art from a very young age, but for many years your artistic ambitions took a secondary role while you focused on family and your career. What eventually inspired you to return to painting with full commitment?

In the past I viewed my art as just a hobby and found it difficult to part with my art, as it felt that I was giving away pieces of myself. So I mostly painted for myself and close family and friends. I didn’t think I would ever be able to sell my art. In 2024 a friend of mine who was also a hobby artist asked me if I had any pieces to donate for a charity event she was planning. The money was to be donated in memory of a very dear family friend who sadly passed away from cancer. Not wanting to part with any of my existing pieces, I gladly rushed to paint three new ones in time for the event. The overwhelming positive feedback I received and the fact that all three pieces sold on the very first night made me stop and realise that my paintings may actually be something that people would want to own. So this was the spark that got me painting again and slowly, slowly putting myself out there, building my online presence through social media and my website. By the end of 2025, I could no longer concentrate on my corporate job, all I could think of was getting home to my paintings. Eventually, I made the decision to leave my job and focus solely on my art.

Christina Stavri Sakka | Golden Gaze | 2026

You often describe being inspired by fleeting scenes you notice while moving through the Cypriot landscape. How do you transform a brief visual impression into a finished painting?

While driving my youngest to and from her afternoon lessons, I often find myself captivated by the ever-changing colours of the clouds and sky, and the patterns formed by the trees and buildings. I feel as though I am driving through a living painting. When I return to my easel, I carry that feeling with me and try to convey it through my art.

Light plays an important role throughout your work, and the recurring use of gold gives many of your paintings an almost symbolic quality. What does gold represent for you?

Gold is considered one of the most valuable commodities on Earth, but nature is the most precious thing of all. For this reason, I love using gold in my paintings to emphasise that nature should be our number one priority in life. Nature is not only beautiful but also precious.

Christina Stavri Sakka | Grace Beneath Gold | 2026

Birds and other animals appear frequently in your paintings. What draws you to these subjects, and do they carry particular emotional or symbolic meanings in your work?

Growing up on a farm, we had the privilege of having many animals to love, play with, and care for. Animals are the subject of many artists’ work because they possess a special beauty that mesmerises. Birds, in particular, have such diverse colours that they are always an enjoyable challenge to replicate on canvas.

Christina Stavri Sakka | Moonlit Duet | 2026

Several of your recent works combine natural imagery with figures such as dancers or angelic forms. What interests you about bringing the human figure together with elements of nature?

Humans cannot exist without the natural world, yet sometimes they seem to naively believe that they can. By combining humans, animals, and nature in my paintings, I try to remind the viewer that humans are not separate from nature, we are part of it.

Christina Stavri Sakka | Moonlit Blossoms Iii | 2026

At this stage of your artistic journey, what themes, techniques, or directions are you most interested in exploring next?

At this stage of my artistic journey, there are so many subjects I want to paint that I find it difficult to decide which one to start with. Creating large-scale paintings takes time, so you have to commit to a particular style for quite a while.

Last year, I found a way to trick the system by painting lots of small 10×10cm mini paintings. This allowed me to explore many different subjects and styles in a much shorter period of time. I probably painted close to 100 minis in one year, experimenting with realism, abstract, semi-abstract, animals, trees, water, skies, and even galaxies. I packaged them in small gift boxes, and to my surprise, they all sold, mostly as Christmas gifts.

Right now, I feel particularly drawn to softer-toned landscapes with an emphasis on dramatic, cloud-filled skies. I’ll probably paint a few more minis first to get some of those other ideas and techniques out of my system before beginning the collection for next year’s solo exhibition.