Born on the island of Crete, in Greece, Margaret Tsirantonakis immigrated to the United States with her family when she was one. She grew up in Astoria, New York City, but has always maintained a spiritual connection to her native Greece as she has journeyed back to Crete on a regular basis since childhood. Determined to be an artist from a young age, Tsirantonakis attended the High School of Art & Design in New York City. She went on to receive her B.F.A. from Parsons School of Design in New York City.
She has regularly exhibited her work. In 2023 she had her fourth solo exhibition at Prince Street Gallery in New York City.
In 2024 her paintings were selected to be in the group show “A Sense of Surface” at the Painting Center, New York City. Her work has been included in both solo and group exhibitions in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Taos, NM, Greece, Germany and Italy. Her work is in private collections in the United States, Europe and Japan.
She lives and works in Connecticut.
Artist Statement: “Color continues to be of prime importance to my instinctive painting process. I like to use saturated and unexpected color combinations with oil paint and a variety of gestural and calligraphic marks to make painted layers that “breathe”. Negative spaces are as important as positive ones, animating the entire canvas. My imagery is frequently inspired by nature I observe (flowers, plants, trees) as well as by trips to Crete (my birthplace) that focus on the land, the sea and ancient Minoan art as a source. During my travels as well as at home I make watercolors in the plein-air tradition, and drawings in my sketchbook. Both are important to my artistic process.”
Essays
Katherine A. Schwab essay for 2023 “Ancient Echoes” exhibition catalog Read
Jeffrey Hoffeld essay for 2011 “Inside/Outside Color” Exhibition | Read
