Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika: A journey from West to East highlighted in Benaki Museum exhibition

A new exhibition at the Benaki Museum of Piraeus Street, titled “Ghika: A Journey from the West to the East,” sheds light on the significant travels of the great Greek painter, engraver, and sculptor Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika. Marking the 30th anniversary of his passing, the exhibit explores a pivotal journey that deeply influenced both his art and life.

Ghika was 52 years old in 1936 when he was invited to participate in an international educational program sponsored by the U.S. government. This invitation led to one of the most important and fascinating trips of his life, accompanied by his future wife, Barbara Warner, with stops in the U.S., Japan, Hong Kong, India, and Nepal.

The exhibition’s first section covers his travels across the United States, visiting Boston, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Chicago, New Orleans, Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Mexico before returning to Greece via the East. Visitors can explore Ghika’s correspondence, notes, and works created during the trip and earlier, revealing his deep study of Eastern art, thought, and religions, dating back to the 1930s. His American artistic recognition and the valuable experiences from his visits to unique locations and monuments, as well as his connections, are also highlighted.

The second section showcases his journey through the East, featuring stops in Japan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Laos, India, and Nepal. It presents Eastern theater, music, dance, and representations of Buddha from these countries, along with artworks Ghika created before and after 1958, clearly influenced by Eastern traditions.

A particular highlight of the exhibition is Ghika’s collection of art and objects from Asia, displayed in a captivating setting with a distinct Far Eastern atmosphere. Additionally, a multimedia interactive feature allows visitors to explore the artist’s journey with Barbara Warner through text and sketches.

The exhibition is accompanied by a bilingual catalog containing texts by its curator, Ioanna Moraiti, a foreword by the Benaki Museum’s scientific director, Giorgis Magginis, a contribution by art historian and curator Anina Valkana, and a wealth of photographs and archival materials. It also includes a special insert featuring unpublished notes from Ghika’s travels, along with excerpts from his letters.

Parallel Events:

• Guided Tours: Curator Ioanna Moraiti will lead guided tours of the exhibition on the following dates:
  
  • Saturday, 23 November 2024, at 13:00
  • Saturday, 7 and Sunday, 8 December 2024, at 13:00
  • Saturday, 14 December 2024, at 17:30
  • Sunday, 15 December 2024, at 13:00
• Educational Activities: The Benaki Museum’s Education Department will organize a series of activities in conjunction with the exhibition:
  
  • Program: “Seeing with the Senses”: Thursday, 14 November 2024, from 16:00 to 18:00. This regular program welcomes visitors with partial or full vision loss to the exhibit through verbal descriptions, readings, sound stimuli, tastes, and tactile experiences, mirroring Ghika’s and Warner’s unique journey from the West to the East.
  • Creative Writing Workshop for Adults (January 2025): Historian and writer Lena Divani will conduct a creative writing workshop for adults based on the written materials from Ghika’s travels.
  • “The Little Art Workshop” (February 2025): This workshop will invite children aged 6 to 9 to embark on a magical journey following the great artist’s footsteps from the West to the East.

Images:

• Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, “Barbara in Kyoto,” 1958. Marker and pencil on paper.
• Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, “Churches in Mexico,” 1958. Ink on paper.
• Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, handwritten notes about Kyoto’s temples and palaces, 1958.
• Scene from Kabuki Theater, 1958. Ink and white tempera on japon paper.

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