Between two Islands
This painting is a tribute to Eleni Vallianou, a Greek heroine of the French Resistance during World War II. Born in Paris in 1909, she gathered vital intelligence for the Allies under the codename "La Veilleuse."
Tragically, Eleni was arrested by the Gestapo on July 29, 1944. She endured 17 days of severe torture but never broke, ultimately being executed on August 15, 1944, in Nice, alongside 23 other Resistance fighters. Her sacrifice was acknowledged by General de Gaulle, and her legacy is honoured with a street and a school in France, and her burial in the Russian church in Cannes.
The artwork also incorporates Scottish symbolism, featuring the thistle and a hidden Scottish soldier playing the bagpipe evoking a sense of national pride. The predominant blue color in the painting hints at remembrance and reflects Scotland's national colors, visually linking the heroine's sacrifice with a strong national identity.