Artist’s statement

I am an artist from Patras, Greece, where my journey began amidst sunlit seas and ancient stone. With a background in architecture, my creative process is shaped by a profound understanding of space and structure, storytelling and silence. My first foray into the arts began in Volos, where I discovered my passion for designing and imagining new worlds. Later, my path led me back to Patras, where I deepened my understanding of form, structure, and the hidden stories that every space holds.

Throughout my life, I have wandered through various cities across Europe, each one a
chapter in my evolving story. From the coastal beauty of Patras and the vibrant streets of
Volos to the historic alleys of Coimbra and the artistic pulse of Barcelona, I have drawn
inspiration from the diverse environments and cultures I’ve been fortunate to encounter. Each place left its mark on my soul, urging me to explore new artistic mediums and to reinterpret my vision again and again.

Today, I find myself in Berlin, a city that embodies transformation and resilience. Here, in this ever-evolving landscape, I have fully embraced my passion for collage art. I weave together fragments of newspapers, using them as protagonists in my creations. With every torn page, I blend textures, words, and images to tell stories of time’s passage, collective memory, and the narratives that shape our world. My work is a reflection of my journey, a tapestry woven from the threads of my experiences and the diverse landscapes I’ve called home. Through the interplay of newspaper elements and abstract forms, I create pieces that are both visually compelling and conceptually profound, capturing the transient yet enduring nature of time.

In addition to my collages, I delve into the shadows with portraits on black backgrounds,
inspired by Francisco Goya’s haunting Black Paintings. These portraits are an exploration of contrasts—darkness and light, shadow and revelation. They chart a journey from obscurity to clarity, from doubt to understanding, mirroring my own artistic path of introspection and discovery.

My journey to becoming a full-time artist in Berlin was not a straight path but a winding road filled with challenges. When I first arrived, I navigated a labyrinth of uncertainty, working as a house cleaner and construction worker to make ends meet. These trials were heavy, yet they forged in me a resilience and determination that continue to fuel my art. Eventually, I found my way back to the architectural field, but my love for collage and portraiture only deepened.

Now, I dedicate myself to creating art that reflects the complexity and beauty of the world around us. Through my collages and portraits, I seek to offer new perspectives on familiar forms and spaces, inviting viewers to see the world anew, to find light within the shadows.

Thank you for visiting my website. I invite you to explore my works and join me on this
creative journey, where every piece is a step along the path from darkness to light.

• • •

My name is Tetraγonas

…and I got it from a dream.

“I was standing in front of a gate. This gate should be in a pedestrian street.

There was no door.

My brother Dinos and our friend Orestis were with me. Suddenly a very beautiful girl appeared in front of the gate, with dark skin and black curly hair, and invited me to come to her. At that moment I turned to my brother and Orestes and asked them:

“Do you see her too?”

They replied that I was the only one who could see her and that you only see her once in a lifetime and that they had seen her and could never see her again. Then I turned to the girl and she put her right hand out and caressed my face. The moment she put her hand on my face, the girl changed into another equally beautiful girl with tanned skin and black curly hair. The girl invited me in. I entered the room. The room is white and looks like an exhibition hall or a museum and is L-shaped with glass cases in the middle of the room. I had the feeling that everyone was hurrying around the room. Suddenly a man appeared and leaned conspiratorially against my ear as if to say something, but he only handed me a small key that looked like the key to a jewellery box. I took the key and put it in the back pocket of my trousers. Immediately the game began. I had to find something I didn’t know about by looking through the salt stuck to the paintings on the walls.

So I started scraping the salt off the paintings.

I

looked and looked, but I couldn’t find anything. While I was looking, I thought I was probably looking for the little key in the back pocket of my trousers. I tried to get the key out of my back pocket without anyone noticing, so I pretended to find it in the salt. I realised I couldn’t do it unnoticed, so I just took it out of my pocket and brought it in front of me.

At this moment I turn my head and see a figure talking to me, but I can’t hear what he’s saying, as if I’d lost my hearing. This figure is wearing a white cloak and has a long white beard and long white hair. Although he looks like a male figure, he has no gender. He is neither male nor female. While he was talking to me, I noticed that my friend Tasos was crouching opposite him, he was asking him a question and the figure was answering. I immediately went over to him and asked him what he had asked him. Tasos told me that he had asked him

how old I was.

At that moment I began to imagine the age. Then I asked him:

“And what did he say?”

And my friend said:

“He said you’re Tetraγonas!”

That’s when I realised that I have no age,

that the Tetraγonas is a tribe that is eternal.

So I belong to this tribe.

At the moment of realisation, this figure came very close to me and whispered to me:

“I know who you are. You are very good with people…”.

Immediately he moved away and from the position he had before he said to me:

“…just one thing, be careful…”

and while biting the index finger of his right hand, which began to bleed, he continued:

“…don’t suck your life away!”“