Belgrade, 1924 –Athens, 2014
Louisa (Zizi) Srnič studied at the School of Fine Arts in Belgrade. In 1946, with a scholarship from the French government, she studied engraving at the École des BeauxArts in Paris under Dimitris Galanis. In 1948 she met the sculptor Agamemnon (Memo) Makris, and they married in April 1950. In July of the same year, they were expelled from France due to Makris’ left-wing political beliefs. They settled in Budapest, where they lived until the late 1970s, participating actively in Hungary’s artistic life. In 1956, Makris traveled for several months to China, where she also held her first solo exhibition. In 1960, she entered Greece illegally as part of a party mission; she was arrested and imprisoned for a year in the Averoff women’s prison. During this time, she created a series of engravings depicting women prisoners. This series was presented at her first solo exhibition in Athens (Zygos Gallery, 1964). Some of these engravings were also published in Yannis Ritsos’ book ‟The Prison Tree and the Women” (Athens, 1963). In 1963 she traveled to the Soviet Union (Armenia, Uzbekistan, Siberia). From 1985 she lived permanently in Athens. Primarily an engraver, she also worked in book illustration, mosaic, and tapestry (textiles). Her work remained figurative and human-centered, praising the struggle of ordinary people within the framework of socialist society. Stylistically, Makris was initially influenced by folk art but gradually absorbed expressionist elements. Her works are distinguished by their rich colors, technical mastery, and variety of textures. She exhibited her work in solo shows in Hungary, Greece, and elsewhere (China, Cuba, Mexico, Cyprus, USA, France). She also took part in group exhibitions in many countries. An internationally acclaimed artist, she was repeatedly awarded at exhibitions of the World Federation of Democratic Youth (Berlin 1953, Warsaw 1955, Moscow 1957, etc.). She also received the Munkácsy Prize (1959, 1963) and the title of Distinguished Artist (1984), Hungary’s highest distinction for the visual arts. In 1973, a retrospective of her work was held at the Csók István Gallery in Budapest; another retrospective was hosted at Nikaia Town Hall in 2006. Her last exhibition, ‟Zizi Makris China ’56. Engravings and Drawings,” curated by Danai Philippou, was organized at the Benaki Museum in 2010.