Ghika’s journey from West to East

Thirty years after the passing of influential Greek artist Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, the Benaki Museum unveils an exhibition celebrating his transformative 1958 journey from West to East.

Invited to participate in an American-sponsored educational exchange, Ghika embarked on a career-defining trip that took him from Washington, to New York, Buffalo, and San Francisco, before he ventured south to Mexico and then Hawaii. Realizing a lifelong dream, he chose to return to Greece via Asia, visiting Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Cambodia and India, before stopping in Cairo and London.

This expedition was both a literal voyage and a metaphorical exploration of artistic identity, as Ghika had long engaged with Eastern art and philosophy.

The exhibition features his drawings, archival materials, and objects collected from those distant lands, highlighting the deep...