Project in progress, Geek villagers
Project in progress. For many years now I am working on a very special project. I am painting the portraits of the inhabbitants of the small village in Greece where I spent some months a year. I want in this way to honour the villagers that worked all their lives and are now confrontated with a new Europe. Loosing a way of life that was there for such a long time.
dated 2008 until 2015
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Eleni
2015Eleni is the daugther of Michalis and Litsa. She is young and works hard on the farm together with her parents. She is also in the documentary of Ilona Scharree.
Ftigo
2015Ftigo is our neighbour. She is allready 84 years, but she does not need help. Together with her husband Sotiris she does everything to keep things going.
Litsa
2015Litsa is maried with Michalis. Her daugther is Eleni. As a family they work very hard on there farm wich is the biggest of the village.
Michalis
2015Michalis is the father of Eleni and the husband of Litsa. The have the biggest farm of the village and all the family works there.
Lefteris
2015Lefteris is the husband of Dina. Unfortunately he died last winter. Regularly I bought some oliveoil from him.
Elefteria
2015Elefteria is one of the twins from Thanasis. She is one of the few kids that stil live in the village.
Rania
2015Rania is one of the twins from Thanasis. She belongs to the few children that are left in the village.
Thanasis
2015Thanasis is the father of the twins Ranja and Elefteria. He does a lot of things to make a living. He is actually an electricien.
Tomas
2015Tomas is the son of Fotini. He has a lot of catle and that is the living of his family. He has 2 sons. Both living at home.
Christos, our little neighboor
2012Portrait of Christos, living in the same small street we live in. Christos is living all by him self since he lost his wife, and recently his son who lived in Germany. Fortunately the villagers keep an eye on him.
Eleni
2012Portrait of Eleni, made from an old picture, I made years ago. She is suffering from Alzheimer for years now and I did not want to pait her in that condition for this project.
Evangelis, pub owner
2012Portrait of Evangelis, a re-migrant from Kotsanopoulo. Evangelis lived and worked for over 30 years in Germany where he owned a so called Kneipe (pub with small snacks). After returning to Greece he practised the same job in Preveza for some years and finally returned to his village. There he, and his Albanian wife Laura, gave new life to our village with the re-opening of the central pub. The spirit came back to the village!
Pareskivi
2012Portrait of Pareskivi, she lives in our neighboorhood. She is un unmarried woman that lived together with her unmarried brother. Since some years he lives somewhere else in the vilage. She spends her time at home and gardening.
Wife of Michalis
2012The wife of Michalis, former "mastoras" of the village.
Dimitra
2012Portrait of the grandmother of Lina. Lina is a modern Greek girl born in Athens, her parents have moved to Athens from the village. She visits her grandmother every year, during the long Greek summer hollidays. She spents time there with other Athenian youngsters, and with our daughter, who spends every summer in the village as well. Grandmother lives in the centre of the village, next to the square.
Dimitri
2012Portrait of Dimitri, a quiet man who plays his daily cards in the local tavern.
Alexandra
2012Portrait of Alexandra, my neighbour from across, a widdow who lives several months a year in Athens with her children and the rest of the year in our village.
Rosa
2012Portrait of Rosa, our temporarilay neighbour from Bulgaria. She got stuck in our village and is now living in and taking care of our neighbour Eleni.
Dimitroula
2010Portrait of Dimitroula, widow from our small neighboorhood in Kotsanopoulon.
Christos
2010Portait of Christos, working on his bulldozer.
Christina
2010Portrait of Christina, widow of Kostas and our dear neighbour.
Christos, Albanian
2010Portrait of Christos, one of the two Albanians that found their home in the village. Assimilated, being baptised to Greek orthodox he and his family lead a pretty stable life.
The cabdriver
2010Portrait of Christos, re-emigrated worker from Athens.
Dina
2009This Portrait is part of the project Greek community. It is the wife of Lefteris. There I come often to buy some oliveoil. She works a lott, asswell indoor as outdoor. Indoor she does the housekeeping and outdoor she works in vegetable garden, at the olive trees and takes care of the animals. Always bussy.
Fotini
2009Portrait of Fotini, inhibitant of the Greek village of Kotsanopoulon. In her childhood she loved to sing during the harvest months.
Tassos
2009Portrait of Tassos, remigrated back to his village after being retired.
Maria , wife of Christoforos
2012Portrait of Maria, wife of Foros
Christoforos
2009portrait of Christoforos, owner of the lokal kafeneion. A wonderfull and releaxed person.
Yiannis
2009Portrait of Yiannis, a bit of a loneley guy, killing his time in the local pub playing carts.
Exhibition Lindenberg Nijmegen
2009An impression of the exhibition in the Lindenberg Nijmegen.
Brother of Christoforos
2009This is the brother of Christoforos. I always meet him in the pub his brother owns. We talk with eachother without knowing the name. No problem, because the meetingpoint is always the pub.
Sotiris
2009Sotiris is our neighbour in the village. He was a sheppard, but the work was to hard for him, so he stopt. Now he is enjoying life together with his wife.
Exhibition Lindenberg nijmegen
2009Detail100 of the exhibition in the Lindenberg "house of the art's" Nijmegen november 2009.
Evangelis
2009Portrait of Evangelis, the old 'mastoros' (carpenter) of thr village.
Dimitra
2009Portrait of Dimitra, wife of Evangelis.
Theodorus
2009Portrait of Theodorus, sheperd.
Panos
2012Portrait of Panos, husband of Pagona. Both were singer of the famous miroloi, mourning songs from Epirus. Panos passed away last year, Pagona still sings her beautiful songs.
Pagona
2009Portrait of Pagona Athanasiou, singer of Greek miroloi (songs of mourning) and our introduction to the village.
Yiannis
2009Yiannis is a very confused figure in our Greek village. Probably suffering from Korsakov, due to a lifetime of drinking and misery while being away fom home as a sailor.
Yiannis
2009Portrat of Yiannis, an Albanes boy working and living in teh Greek village.
Exhibition Lindenberg Nijmegen
2009A serial of portraits of the inhabbitants of the Greek village I live in some part of the year.