Description
Marina Karella was born in Athens on 17 July 1940 to industrialist Theodor Karella and Elly Chalikiopoulos. In 1960, Karella was enrolled at the Athens School of Fine Arts, where she studied till 1963. She then continued with her studies at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and the Academy of Fine Arts in Salzburg, having also trained under notable artists like Oscar Kokoschka and Yannis Tsarouchis. On 7 February 1965, she married Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark at the Royal Palace in Athens. However, because the marriage was considered non-dynastic, she did not automatically acquire the title of ‘Princess of Greece and Denmark’ nor the style of ‘Her Royal Highness’, but is instead referred to as Marina, Consort of Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark. Purchased at a Grand Charity Dinner With Auction Of Paintings in London, proceeds going to Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund. We are unable to discover the exact name of the event but remember that the theme was ‘Interiors’., with paintings donated by famous international artists. Marina Karella began her career in 1966, when she presented her first exhibition of paintings at the Festival of Two Worlds in Italy. Her early career was heavily inspired by themes related to Greece. In the ’70s she exhibited her White Paintings at Gallery Ioulas, which are now considered among the most famous pieces of her work. The following decade, Karella held multiple exhibitions at the Earl McGrath Gallery in New York, which also included collaborations with Jack Pierson. Throughout the ’90s her work was featured in multiple publications, including The New Yorker and New York (magazine). During her career Karella has put up a number of exhibitions in various cities around the world, such as New York, Los Angeles, Athens, Brussels, Rome, and London, while many of her works are also hosted in many museums and institutions. In 2005, a retrospective exhibition of her work was organized at the Benaki Museum in Athens. In more recent years, Karella has increasingly ventured into philanthropic works and is currently the founder and president of Eliza, a non-profit society that works towards the prevention of cruelty against children.
