Soula Mantalvanos

Born 1969, Williamstown, Victoria.

Soula Mantalvanos combines design and art with her Byzantine heritage, using paintings and etchings to convey personal life stories.

Beginning her professional career as creative director of her design company ooi.com.au, Soula has also had the opportunity to exhibit paintings and prints at various Melbourne galleries.

For Soula, artistic practice serves as a means of self-expression, while design offers a disciplined avenue for creative exploration. Employing both disciplines and keen observation, Soula explores a topic that has always fascinated her: identity—whether it manifests in architecture, human subjects, or objects.

“I believe that individuals embody their brand, and regulating our ego is one of life’s greatest challenges.”

Soula consistently engages with the theme of identity, with her figures characterised by empathy rather than egocentrism, striking a balance between sincerity and confidence.

In her work, a seated model or marionette often sets Soula around historical architecture and significant objects from her life, such as olive leaves, suitcases, and her patron saint, St. George. She also incorporates foliage and keys as a tribute to Fornasetti.

A sea change from Melbourne in 2015 sees Soula Co-Directing Queenscliff Gallery (QG) with her husband Theo on the Bellarine Peninsula and applying her fine art and design experience to curate and manage QG’s brand and identity.