For me, art is not merely a profession or a passion; it is a profound way to reveal and to “see.” My artistic evolution is a continuous exploration, with each body of work building upon the inquiries of the last. While the journey itself has been a forward progression, I invite you to explore my creative path by tracing it backward, from my most recent explorations to the foundational pieces that first set me on this course. This reverse chronology, I believe, illuminates how earlier questions have culminated in my current understanding, revealing the threads of a cohesive theory woven through time.

Re-membering Eden & The Primal Unit Era: Seeds of Material Divinity (Present)

My journey culminates in the “Re-membering Eden” and “Primal Unity Era” epitomized by works like “Venus Incarnis: Seeds of Material Divinity.” This is where my cosmology and healing path truly converge, identifying solidarity as a major way out of our current crises. This body of work embodies a cohesive theory, deeply rooted in the understanding that the sacred is not distant, but intimately woven into the very fabric of our material existence. Through the re-imagining of ancient archetypes and the embrace of bodily functions, I propose a radical acceptance of our wholeness. The aim is liberation from the “Decarnis shackles” – the societal constructs that alienate us from our bodies, from nature, and from each other. These works invite you to reconsider what is deemed “abject” and to find divinity in decomposition, growth, and the cyclical nature of life, ultimately fostering a profound, ecological-erotic connection.

The Manifesto: “I Accept” (Leading to Re-membering Myths)

The theoretical framework for my current work began to crystallize with pieces like “Wake-up call – ο Χρυσοκόκκορας” and “Holding my Rooster – Πετεινοκρατούσα,” which marked the genesis of my personal manifesto: “I ACCEPT”. This declaration is a commitment to embracing my animal nature and liberating my vital energy. It asserts the acceptance of my entire self – not just the “Good, Beautiful, or Perfect” – but also what is earthly, animal, or perishable. It posits that all bodily functions, secretions, and organic waste are natural and beneficial, integral to the biological chain and the nourishment of life itself. This manifesto challenges the powerful social taboo surrounding decomposition and decay, arguing that our reactions of shame and disgust are not innate but learned. By recognizing and overcoming this taboo, we can gradually free ourselves from these limiting emotions, opening the path to a deeper connection with all living things.

Meta-lapsarian Age: Embracing my Rooster, 2021,

Existential Inquiries & Societal Reflections (Mid-Career Works)

Prior to formalizing the manifesto, my work delved into existential questions, often without recourse to traditional religion, exploring how we endure the relentless transformation of forms in the cycle of birth and destruction.

Works like Contrived Lies (former title “The Voyager Golden Record: Who are we and how do we want to be remembered?“ for the “Babel” exhibition, critically examined humanity’s self-censorship. It questioned the choices made by the NASA committee to omit anything that might “expose” humanity, such as the unadorned human form. This piece asks: with such censorship, what value does the “portrait of humanity” hold for “the Others” who might one day discover it? It highlights the tension between societal propriety and authentic self-representation.

Contrived Lies, 2018, installation:  mixed media painting (encauctic and collage) on wood | 180 x 90 cm and a wax treated photocopy of the voyager disc

Similarly, “What the Sea Means to Me”, with its central painting “Oceanic Feeling – After Sunset,” explored our connection to the Cosmos, a concept the Stoics called “sympathy.” These works reflected on the profound interconnectedness of self and world, a theme that would continue to evolve in my later explorations.

Primal Unity Era: Oceanic Feeling 2017, see more artworks

My installation “Save as” for the exhibition “Faces and Masks,” satirized the overuse of modern technologies and the superficiality of image-making. By using magnified prints of my self-portrait “Mona Katerina,” I playfully engaged with appropriation and self-deprecation, revealing a youthful ideal while critiquing the endless, often meaningless, reproduction of copies when the inner self is ignored.

Social Observation & Philosophical Underpinnings (Earlier Exhibitions)

My second solo exhibition, “White Hats,” offered a counterpoint to my first, shifting focus to questions of social cohesion. Here, I sought to “see” and highlight social groups that function more cohesively. The grandmothers and (few) grandfathers who swim early in the morning, united by their white hats, exemplified companionship and acceptance. Their almost uniform attire symbolized a collective identity, contrasting with the pressures of individual ascent. This period saw the integration of Apollonian, Dionysian, and Socratic concepts into my artistic framework, interpreting the tension of the Apollonian drive (for ascent, acquisition, recognition, excellence, leadership) as a key to understanding human conditions—from the exhaustion of “Passengers” to the carefree present of children.

White Hats, 2017, Gallery Genesis, Athens, see the exhibition catalog here:

This philosophical lens also informed my first solo exhibition, “Passengers and Fellow Travelers.” The “Passengers” in these works posed fundamental questions: “Why do they appear so worn out? Despite physical proximity, why don’t they speak to each other? Why do they stare into the void, even though they share common experiences and the same journey?” In contrast, the “Fellow Travelers” offered lighter moments, presenting instances of cohesion and beauty amidst the themes of “transition” and “journey.”

Travelers and Fellow Passengers, 2012, Gallery Genesis, Athens, see the exhibition catalog here:

Formative Years & Early Inquiries (Beginnings)

My artistic journey began even before my formal studies at the School of Fine Arts. My earliest works, such as “The Prisoner” and “Life in a Bottle” (former title The Experiment) explored social themes, reflecting a nascent awareness of societal structures and individual experiences. These works, though few survived a fire, laid the groundwork for my lifelong engagement with art as a means of inquiry.

Life in a Bottle: 1978, oil on canvas, 35x45cm

My graduation project, “Panoramic Landscape of North Evia” (a monumental 300x470cm work composed of 11 autonomous landscapes, and one integrated, painted background), foreshadowed my enduring quest: “Is it possible for us to evolve as units or subsystems while simultaneously remaining connected and serving the whole?” This early work, with its interconnected yet independent parts, visually articulated the question of individual identity within a larger, unified existence -a question that continues to resonate through all my subsequent work, leading directly to the “Primal Unit” concept.

Panoramic Landscape of North Evia: 1987, a monumental painting constructed of 11 autonomous paintings, oil on canvas, 300×470cm.