Remembering a great artist and an honorable man

Pavlos Samios, who passed away so unexpectedly at the age of 73 earlier this month, was a man full of life. A man who was humble and kind. He never enjoyed talking about himself. He never had to. His career, his work, and most importantly his spirit, were testament enough.

One of the most important ambassadors of contemporary Greek art, he was enamored by traditional Greek painting and hagiography and dedicated himself to them.

He was an artist in every sense of the word, who heard, saw, and learnt much from Nikos Nikolaou, Yannis Moralis, Yannis Tsarouchis, and Manos Hadjidakis. Being around this special group of intellectuals and artists - regulars at the Magemenos Avlos (Magic Flute) restaurant in Proskopon Square in the Athens neighborhood of Pangrati - broadened his horizons. He absorbed much from the discussions they had, contemplating their thoughts and...