Panagiotis Marinis
I am sharing portrait photography of a very close friend and a lovely human being, the greek sculptor Panagiotis Marinis. Panagiotis is an example of folk art sculptor that frees the form of his works through his instinct and his connection with nature.
"Sculpting with tireless but wise drive the silent surface of the stone of Aegina, Panagiotis Marinis has been processing and taming its primary material for many decades, skilfully revealing its organic nature, touching its mysterious interior which, between his hands, explodes and transforms into living flesh..." wrote Iris Kritikou in 2018 with a form the group exhibition "Diachronies", in which samples of his work were presented at the Diachronic Museum of Larissa. It returns to the same museum, from July 17 to October 30, 2023, with the solo exhibition entitled "Stone Tools", with a series of sculptures that interact with selected Neolithic and Bronze Age stone tools from the museum's collection. On this occasion, we spoke with the important artist.
Panagiotis Marinis was born in 1955 in Aegina, where he lives and works until today, remaining a lover of nature and folklore and using stone as the main raw material of his work. His involvement in sculpture began in 1981 with the main stimulus being his works and meetings with Christos Kapralos, as well as the work of Grigoris Maltese. His works can be found in private collections in Greece and abroad, at the entrance of the Aegina Town Hall (work in collaboration with the painter Giorgos Chatzimihalis), as well as in the Cypriot Consulate in New York. He maintains a permanent sculpture exhibition in his Agricultural Garden in Kypseli, Aegina. He has held solo exhibitions in Athens ("The Stone He Knew", Genesis Gallery, Athens 2016 curated by: Iris Kritikou) and in Aegina (Historical and Folklore Museum of Aegina, Markello Tower, Aegina) and has participated in many group exhibitions in Museums, archaeological sites, Foundations and private art spaces in Greece and abroad. His works belong to public and private collections in Greece and abroad.
MYRMIDONES photo-book release
"MYRMIDONES" is the imprint of Dimitris Vlaikos' search on the island of Aegina for the last 20 years.
Focusing on people, the photographer walks a path of observation and understanding of the elements composing the place where he was born and raised.
Light, a key tool in his work, turns into an object of study in terms of its effect on the character, perception, creativity and course of life, both of the island's inhabitants and of himself. Through his lens he wishes to discover how his experiences have become the memory which influences and shapes his choices, his perspective and the aesthetic approach to his work.
The images in the book present moments from the daily life of the inhabitants, portraits of people interacting with their environment, and all those elements that make up the culture which inspires, challenges and embraces the Myrmidons of yesterday and today.
Photos © Dimitris Vlaikos
Texts © Despina Giannouli
Text editing: Natassa Ntouma
Translation: Doris Brumma
Design: Dimitris Vlaikos
Film scanning: Filmora Lab
Executive editor: Tasos Papacharalambous
Print: Smart Print
Published by: Dimitris Vlaikos Gallery
ISBN 978-618-00-3754-8
Album features
Edition: 1st edition
Cover: Hardcover
Number of pages: 178 pages
Number of pictures: 89 pictures
Dimensions: 28cm* 29cm
Language: Greek and English
Central distribution : “Lixnari Aegina” Bookstore
Contact details and orders:
e-mail: lixnari@otenet.gr
phone number: +30 22970 26424
(Shipments throughout Greece and abroad)
https://youtu.be/oRceXQTAJTE
Saronic Magazine Cover
As the summer days are passing by and we are welcoming autumn, some of the summer feeling are still fresh and alive to our minds and souls. We cant forget them. It’s the realization of the escape we need. We called it “vacations” it’s one of the reasons to dream, to live and enjoy the precious moments of life. A dive in blue, a new beginning, a sort trip and an unforgettable joy, are the precious words that communicates the Saronic magazine cover. The well-known location of the port of Aegina Island was the ideal spot to capture this great moment of the young athletes arriving with their sups in the port of Aegina Island.
Marinia
The actors Despoina Giannouli and Vangelis Pitsilos performing and act in a 100 years old taverna in Aegina. Marini’s Taverna opens again just for a few shows to give us the feeling and the meaning of Tavernas for the Greek community from 1910 to 1960. Some of the residents of the Taverna was great greek artists like Kapralos, Kazantzakis and Moralis that they produced part of their artistic work living in Aegina and visiting Taverna daily. The following photos are produced for the performers at the yard of the historical Marini’s taverna.
Pure Fitness by Fotini Bitrou
Every day we are trying to have a better life or a better quality of life. We are working more and more trying to create things we want, things that will make us happy.
The last year I considered that the most important thing is our self. If you haven’t good health in your body and soul and if you don’t take care of them, you can't have or enjoy, or love anything else. That’s why I loved yoga. Yoga is the combine of body and mind, is the total balance of your self. My Teacher in yoga, Fotini Bitrou, decided to publish all this staff and share them on the web. She created a website named www.purefitness.gr and cooperated with me for the pictures of the website content.
Aegina Fistiki Festival
Last Saturday the photography Exhibition for 2013 Fistiki Festival in Aegina Island in Folklore Museum had been completed. My goal was to capture the shapes that the light on the objects related to the harvest. Somewhere between stills and portrait.


