The Benaki Museum Shop, in collaboration with NOMAS publications, presents a captivating selection of works by the acclaimed Greek artist Dimitris Papaioannou. At the Gkika Gallery (Krieziotou 3, Athens), visitors will have the rare opportunity to explore four selected prints from the collectible edition Sketches from Life (Σχέδια εκ του φυσικού), marking the first time these works are made available to the public, exclusively through the gallery’s shop.
This limited edition is the result of a creative initiative led by NOMAS publishers Yiannis Bournias and Lina Stefanou, with artistic curation personally undertaken by Papaioannou. The collection transports viewers to the artist’s personal Cycladic sanctuary on Anafi – a remote island that has deeply inspired his reconnection with drawing.
Rendered in pencil, the sketches depict nude figures and landscapes captured during Papaioannou’s summer stays on the island in 2021, 2022, and 2023. These works, described by the artist as “poetic testimonies to the purity of the Greek landscape,” offer a unique window into his creative process and his intimate dialogue with the natural world.
“My best works come from play,” Papaioannou reflects, alluding to the 200 drawings – some in color – that form the complete edition. The island of Anafi, where he reimmersed himself in the act of drawing, became both a canvas and a catalyst for artistic rebirth.
Sketches from Life not only showcases Papaioannou’s technical prowess but also offers a glimpse into his enduring relationship with visual storytelling – a connection that has informed his celebrated stage productions over the years. “Drawing from life – we used to call it ‘Nude at Night’ at the Athens School of Fine Arts – was my favorite exercise at 19,” he reminisces. “Every afternoon, a naked body stood at the center of an amphitheater filled with clothed bodies. At the beach, we’re all naked. While most of these sketches were created quickly – or even in a flash, depending on the hyperactivity of the unsuspecting model – they ultimately stand as slow-time testimonies within the Cycladic landscape. There and then, the beauty of everything is revealed.”
Papaioannou muses on the timeless human drive behind art: “The history of human art seems to be an attempt to understand who we are and our place in the world. We measure things with our personal yardstick. Depicting the world has value as a process of human self-discovery. So, depicting one’s own species – the human – seems to be the ongoing exercise in painting, from the beginning until now.”
Visitors to the Gkika Gallery will not only witness these evocative sketches but also engage with the essence of Greek summer and artistic introspection, encapsulated in Papaioannou’s delicate lines.
