DONNA

Steel, foam, concrete, paint
APPROX. 11’ X 3’ x 1’

Donna is a permanent, site-specific sculpture by American artist Anne Faith Nicholls, created for the Elounda Island Villas Artist Residency & Sculpture Garden on the island of Crete, Greece. Constructed with steel, foam, concrete and paint, its abstracted silhouette references the island’s Minoan history and the Great Mother Goddess of Crete. Named after the artist's mother, Donna honors women who guide, uplift, and protect, reflecting the feminist and Surrealist themes central to Nicholls' art practice. Facing Elounda Bay, the sculpture stands as a protective icon, its horned form aligning with the sun, moon, and Venus at certain times of the year. 

Artist Statement

"My first experience in Greece was incredible, to say the least. With a month to immerse myself in the beautiful natural environment from my base at Elounda Island Villas Artist Residency, I was able to deeply research the history of Crete at many of its significant historical sites and museums, including the Heraklion Archeological Museum, the Palace of Knossos and the ancient sunken city of Olous. This allowed me to craft a piece of art that was directly informed by the island of Crete itself, while translating my own stylistic and thematic preferences in a new way and place. I am grateful to residency director/artist Leda Alexopoulou and her team for their creative collaboration, and proud of the finished work of art that not only references the identity of Crete, but leaves my own personal signature as an artist, far from home. In that sense, for me, Donna is a powerful result of a true cultural exchange."  ~Anne Faith Nicholls