Michalis Athanasakis was born in Gonies Maleviziou in Heraklion, Crete, in 1962. From an early age, he showed an inclination toward painting and sculpture, which he continued to pursue later in life. He worked for many years as a builder, specializing in the art of stone masonry. He is self-taught and first began working with mosaic in 1994, creating works using tesserae made from entirely unprocessed natural stones. His more systematic engagement with mosaic art began in 2012. Since then, he has created works in which, in addition to natural stone, marble, and granite, he also uses various other materials such as bricks, tiles, glass, plates, and others.
Alongside mosaic art, he is also involved in sculpture. In recent years, he has been attending painting and sculpture classes at the ASKstudio Visual Arts Workshop of Andreas Stavrianoudakis Kampas. He is a member of the Visual Artists Association of Crete, the Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece (EETE), and AIMC – the International Association of Contemporary Mosaicists.
He first presented his work in a solo exhibition in Fodele, Heraklion, in 2018, and since then he has participated in group exhibitions in Greece and abroad.
His works are included in public spaces and private collections.
He lives and works in Gazi, Heraklion.
[Email] athanasakis147@gmail.com
[ w ] psifidoto.gr
[ f ] Μιχάλης Αθανασάκης
Born in Athens. In 1998, she earned a vocational training diploma in Advertising. She went on to study Painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts under Professor I. Valavanidis, graduating in 2005. She also completed her studies in mosaic art under the guidance of Daphne Angelidou. She lives in Heraklion, where she teaches painting at public and private educational institutions. She has participated in group exhibitions, including:
2026: “Echoes,” GALLERY GARGARO, Rethymno. 2025: “Journey,” M.E.T.I. 2021: Conversation with: “IS & Zhu, Narratives & Dialogues 21+8 Artists.” 2019: “CulturaHER 2019,” “Art on the Go” festival, Heraklion Cultural & Conference Center. “Woman’s Identity,” Malevizi Art Gallery. “Exhibition of the Association of Art Teachers,” Café Bar “Iridanos.” 2018: “Symbols and Symbolism,” Malevizi Art Gallery. “Exhibition of Visual Arts in Honor of the 100th Anniversary of the KKE” Heraklion Municipal Art Gallery. 2016: “Literary Illustrations” METH. 2014: “Honoring the Greek” – the HUB events, Athens & Gate of the Pantocrator, Heraklion. “Myths, Dreams, and a Silence” METH. “Athinas Street” Pindaros Hotel, Athens. “Communication Through Art” Heraklion Municipal Art Gallery. “Conversations with Minoan Culture” Heraklion Municipal Art Gallery. 2013: “Transformations,” “Mediterranean” Exhibition Space, Heraklion. 2012: “My Greece,” participation with the Visual Artists Network, Heraklion Municipal Art Gallery. “InvisibleCity”
[ email ] jennybacalouma@yahoo.gr
[Blog] Jennybacalouma.blogspot.com
Paraskevi Panagiotopoulou (Evi Baloo) is a visual artist (painter and visual artist) based in Heraklion, Crete. She holds an MFA in Photography from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna and a degree in Painting from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, where she developed her artistic identity, focusing on painting and contemporary photography.
Her work spans a wide range of artistic practices, including numerous group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, as well as solo presentations. She has collaborated with cultural institutions, museums, and galleries, and actively participates in artistic and educational initiatives.
In parallel, she works as an art educator, teaching visual arts in children’s and educational programs, fostering creative expression. She has also worked as a photographer in artistic productions, exhibitions, and social projects, with a particular focus on documenting social issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her artistic practice explores the relationship between image and experience, addressing themes of memory, identity, and everyday life. She has received distinctions in international photography competitions, earning significant awards.
She lives and works in Heraklion, Crete.
Maria Benetaki was born in Heraklion, Crete. She is a painter and a graduate of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze. Since 2009, she has been working as a visual arts educator in public education, actively contributing to the cultivation of artistic expression, imagination, and creative thinking among students. Alongside her educational work, she maintains a continuous artistic
practice, exploring new forms of visual expression and participating in the contemporary art scene.
She has illustrated book covers, printed publications, and has designed covers for music CDs.
Her painting is characterized by an intense color palette, dynamic compositions, and a particular sensitivity to the use of watercolor, through which she creates works with a strong symbolic character.
She has participated in ten (10) group exhibitions in Greece and abroad. A central theme in her work is the Labyrinth, as a timeless symbol of human journey, exploration, and inner
transformation. At the same time, her logarithmic spirals and expanding vortices constitute recurring visual motifs, expressing movement, flow, energy, and the continuous evolution of life.
Her work moves between abstraction and symbolism, creating a visual world where color and movement coexist within a personal artistic narrative.
She speaks Italian and English.
She lives and works in Heraklion, Crete
[Email]mbenetaki@yahoo.it
Maria Benetaki was born in Heraklion, Crete. She is a painter and a graduate of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze. Since 2009, she has been working as a visual arts educator in public education, actively contributing to the cultivation of artistic expression, imagination, and creative thinking among students. Alongside her educational work, she maintains a continuous artistic
practice, exploring new forms of visual expression and participating in the contemporary art scene.
She has illustrated book covers, printed publications, and has designed covers for music CDs.
Her painting is characterized by an intense color palette, dynamic compositions, and a particular sensitivity to the use of watercolor, through which she creates works with a strong symbolic character.
She has participated in ten (10) group exhibitions in Greece and abroad. A central theme in her work is the Labyrinth, as a timeless symbol of human journey, exploration, and inner
transformation. At the same time, her logarithmic spirals and expanding vortices constitute recurring visual motifs, expressing movement, flow, energy, and the continuous evolution of life.
Her work moves between abstraction and symbolism, creating a visual world where color and movement coexist within a personal artistic narrative.
She speaks Italian and English.
She lives and works in Heraklion, Crete
[Email] mbenetaki@yahoo.it
Christina Chatzideve was born in Heraklio Crete. She is a graduate of the University of Arts Utrecht – HKU, where she specialized in Painting and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Visual Arts and Design.
She is an active member of the Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece and has participated in important exhibitions organized by it, such as “The Immutable Duty,” “The Mediterranean Sea through the Poetry” and “The Human Body in Art.”
She has held solo exhibitions in Heraklion, Crete, in Hanover, Germany, at the Municipal Art Galleries of Almere and Purmerend in the Netherlands, as well as at the Parliament of Almere. At the same time, she has taken part in group exhibitions in Greece, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Her works have been presented, among others, at the Basilica of St. Mark in Heraklion, the World Fashion Center in Amsterdam, the Orthodox Academy of Kolymbari, as well as in international contemporary art events and biennials. Her works have also been included in catalogs and private art collections in Greece and abroad.
Alongside her artistic practice, she works in education as an instructor in Art & Design seminars and as a teacher of visual arts at IEK, institutions under the Chamber of Heraklion. In her teaching, she places particular emphasis on cultivating creative thinking, personal expression, and aesthetic perception.
In her artistic work, she develops series of paintings through a variety of techniques and materials, forming a personal visual language that moves between abstraction and representation. Her thematic exploration addresses issues of memory, identity, time, and personal freedom, through a reflective and multi-layered approach.
She lives and works in Greece and the Netherlands.
[Email]: cchatzideve@gmail.com
[w]:chatzideve.com
[Inst]: https://www.instagram.com/christina_chatzideve?igsh=ZXpnM2F5b2xqMm1k
Clio Christaki studied painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli and the Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna in Italy, under the guidance of professors G. Pierno and C. Pozzati. At the same time, she took courses in etching, sculpture, and photography, which led her to develop a multifaceted approach to the visual arts. She subsequently completed art education training programs organized by MoMA as well as seminars on the use of information and communication technologies in education. She holds a master’s degree in “Digital and Soft Skills in Education” and is an art teacher in secondary education in Heraklion, Crete.
She is a founding member of the “4Ground Art Group,” which has participated in numerous exhibitions and events, starting with the art installation “Rooms.” Her works have been presented in group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including the “Arte 00” exhibition in Bologna, “Trash Art” in Athens, “Visual Art Starting Points” at the Heraklion Museum of Visual Art, as well as in thematic exhibitions at the Basilica di San Marco in Heraklion. In 2010, she participated in the 9th Sardinia Biennale.
At the same time, she has been involved in scenography for theatrical performances and the illustration of children’s books, combining visual art with educational and cultural activities.
[Inst] @kleiw_chris
[Email] kleio_chris@hotmail.com
Born in Heraklion, Crete in 1961
He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, with professor Silvio Loffredo, also engraving and photography. He works as an art teacher in secondary education, and is a member of the writing team of the book of the Pedagogical Institute <History of Decorative Arts> which is taught in technical education
He has had three solo exhibitions and has taken part in several group exhibitions
Works are in private and public collections such as the Katsigra Museum in Larissa, the Volos Municipal Gallery and the historical archive of the KKE.
He is a member of the EETE, and the Association of Art Teachers
Giannis Eptaminitakis was born in Tymbaki, Heraklion, and has been painting since a very young age. He studied for two academic years at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, but for personal reasons did not continue. Later, he attended painting courses in Heraklion, Crete, under the Cretan painter Giorgos Georgiadis. In 2015, he graduated from the Vellios School of Art in Athens, where his instructors included Achilleas Pistonis in painting, Marianna Katsoulidi in drawing and printmaking, and Dimitris Kalyviotis in sculpture.
His work is primarily focused on the human figure. Through his paintings, he seeks to reveal the inner world of his subjects as he perceives it. Body language, character, and the emotional state of his subjects are among the elements he attempts to capture in his paintings. He has also worked with landscapes, still life, and interior scenes.
He has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Heraklion and Athens, and in 2019 held a solo exhibition at the Vikelaia Municipal Library in Heraklion, Crete. His works are included in the collections of the Museum of Visual Arts of Heraklion, as well as the Municipality of Heraklion.
[Email]: g.eptam@gmail.com
Evgenia Faliaridou is a visual artist based between Thessaloniki and Heraklion, Crete. She holds a degree from the School of Fine Arts, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (BA &
Integrated Master), and an MA in Audiovisual Arts in the Digital Age from Ionian
University. She has taught at the School of Fine Arts, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,
in the1st Painting Studio and the Industrial Design Lab (2021–2025), and currently
teaches Visual Arts in public education.
Her work spans painting, drawing, and installation, engaging both analog and digital
media. Through an abstract visual language, she explores the shifting presence of the
human figure within spatial and temporal contexts, focusing on processes of transition,
coexistence, and transformation. Her practice reconfigures painterly form, generating
visual fields that invite open-ended interpretation.
Faliaridou has presented her work in three solo exhibitions and over 40 group exhibitions
and festivals internationally. Selected presentations include MOMus – Experimental
Center for the Arts, Thessaloniki; Thessaloniki Concert Hall; the Numismatic Museum of
Athens; MAKK – Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln; the Folklore Museum of Larissa;
the Municipal Gallery of Ioannina; and the Ionian University Audio-Visual Arts Festival,
among others. Her work has been featured in exhibition catalogues and across print and
digital platforms.
[Email] tzenifaliaridou@gmail.com
[Web] tzenifaliaridou.com
Yiouli Garofalaki was born and raised in Heraklion, Crete. She studied Visual Communication at the Vakalos School with teachers Eleni Vakalos, Panos Charalambous, Marios Spiliopoulos, Thanasis Stepopoulos, Nikolas Klironomos, Eduardos Sakayian, Tasos Matzavinos, etc. At the Art and Philosophy Club she continued her studies in painting and sculpture with teachers Roubina Sarelakou and Kyriakos Rokos, and then attended seminars in scenography with Maria Haniotaki, theatrical mask and puppet making with Manos Pontikakis, and jewelry with Lila de Chaves. He studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts with Chronis Botsoglou and scenography with Giorgos Ziakas. He studied through Erasmus at the University of Barcelona, Facultat de Belles Arts. He has participated in many group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, and has held solo exhibitions at the Michael Kakoyannis Foundation under the title “Movement-Stillness”, at the “Melina” Cultural Center of the Municipality of Athens under the title “Silent Weight”, at the Art Gallery of the Municipality of Heraklion, Crete, Basilica of Saint Mark, under the title “Silent Weight”. She lives and works in Athens.
[Fcb] : Yiouli Garofalaki
[Inst]: garofalakiyiouli
[Email]: yiougaro@yahoo.com
Gevorg Poladyan was born in 1978 in Yerevan, Armenia. Since 1997 he has been living and working in Greece. He is an accomplished iconographer who, with deep faith and masterful skill, continues the tradition of Byzantine art with particular emphasis on the Cretan School. He specializes in egg tempera, fresco, wall painting and mosaic. His works adorn churches and collections in Greece, Armenia, Europe, Russia, Ukraine and America.
Vasilis Gratsias is a painter, born in Athens in 1946, with roots in Filoti on the island of Naxos. From 1962 to 1996, he worked as a technician at the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE). Since 1983, he has been based in Heraklion, Crete.
He studied at the Vakalo School, where he trained in drawing under P.Tetsis, graphic design under D.Gounaridis, and art history with E.Vakalo. Until 1980, he worked professionally in graphic design. After a two-year period (1980–1982) of close collaboration with painter and sculptor Lydia Sarri, he turned his focus fully to painting.
In 1987, he held his first solo exhibition in Heraklion. His work received praise from Thomas Fanourakis, George Thomas Georgiadis, and Aristides Vlassis. Since then, he has presented fourteen additional solo exhibitions, along with numerous group shows.
Alongside his artistic practice, he has taught painting to adults through cultural associations and in his own studio. In 1999, he was honored by the OTE Cultural Center for his contribution to culture.
His body of work includes still lifes, objects, and landscapes, as well as pieces that explore social and political themes, often centered on the human figure.
In 2019, he created the multi-panel mosaic Peace on the Heraklion breakwater, offering it as a gift to the city that has been his home for many years.
His works are held in the Heraklion Museum of Fine Arts, the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, the municipalities of Agios Nikolaos, Hersonissos, Drymalia (Naxos), and Vamos, as well as in private collections in Greece and abroad.
He is a member of the Greek Chamber of Fine Arts and a founding member of both the Heraklion Visual Artists Network and the Association of Visual Artists of Crete. His work has been discussed and presented by L.Sarri, A.Vlassis, N.Psyllakis, D.Xyritakis, G.D.Michelakis, P.H. Karabelas, and K.Fanourakis.
[Email] gratsiasv@yahoo.gr
Maria Harkoutsi was born in Heraklion, Crete. She is a visual artist, mosaicist, painter, and a member of the Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece (E.E.T.E.).
She attended drawing and painting courses at the atelier of Azaria Madanian and later at the atelier of Vassilis Gratsias, while she is self-taught in the art of mosaic. Over the years, she has also attended independent seminars on Art History.
Professionally, she worked for several years in the art of fruit and vegetable carving within the hotel industry. Engaging in a “dialogue” between stone and color, she meticulously dresses her own paintings with immense patience, using mosaic tiles or mixed media to explore conceptual, surrealist, and folkloric themes. Most often, her artworks are accompanied by her own poems or short literary texts.
She has conducted interactive mosaic workshops with the participation of Centers for Creative Occupation of Children (KDAP), held as part of the International Sculpture Symposium of the Municipality of Heraklion.
She has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, showcasing paintings, mixed media works, mosaics, and sculptures made from recyclable materials. Her portfolio also includes a solo exhibition dedicated to mosaic art. Additionally, she has created stage sets for various theatrical performances by a cultural theater group.
She has served as President and is currently the Vice President of the Pancretan Association of Visual Arts Creators, under the name “Neorion Technis,” based in Chania. Her works can be found in private and public collections in Greece and abroad.
[Email] mharkoutsi@yahoo.gr