Sofia Vembo

The distinguished sculptor Markos Georgilakis, a graduate of the Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA), the Edinburgh College of Art and, since 2003, an elected lecturer at the ASFA, created the brass bust of Sofia Vembo in 1996, which today adorns the square of the same name in the area of Girokomio in Ambelokipi. The famous singer and actress went down in history as the “Singer of Victory” during the interwar period, the Greek-Italian War, but also during the 1950s, as she helped the entire Greek society artistically with her inspiring, patriotic songs, but also symbolically with her financial contribution to the Greek Navy. Her indelible presence was depicted and placed in the square that bears her name. Her bust focuses on the features of her face, while any other feature such as her headdress is rendered fairly abstractly. An interesting element is the choice of her specific “peasant” traditional costume chosen by the artist. Vembo used to appear in her performances and on the covers of her albums dressed in traditional costumes, as part of her effort to connect her audience with their past. Her name is written in capital letters on the pedestal of the bust, and on the left side is the sculptor's signature with a reference to the date of creation.