When I first set foot on the island of Despotiko back in 2004, I couldn’t possibly imagine what the place would look like today, twenty years later. At that time, the foundations of the temple and the ceremonial banqueting hall (hestiatorion) were barely discernible, and it was basically a desert island with the only living presence being a population of a few hundred goats and the shepherd's two watchdogs.
A brand new interiors boutique adorned with one of the most beautiful logos that catch the passer-by’s eye on Paros this year, something special is taking place. As you walk into the store, don’t expect to see an outlet stacked with useful homeware from floor to ceiling – instead, you find yourself in a thoughtfully curated home décor capsule where many good things could happen.
Medusa Concept Studio, Drios, tel. 6970 012323
On the ring road around Naoussa stands Melissi Delicatessen where, behind local products, jars of honey and bottles of olive oil, there is a small art studio that plays up a host of humble materials. The owner, Maro Voulgari, embroiders old canvases turning them into one-of-a-kind postmodern bags and throw pillows.
Melissi Delicatessen, Naoussa Ring Road, Tel: 22840 55377
We all know that fish is one of the most loved foods and, in fact, this has been so since the old days. What is not so well-known is that the approximately 300 fishermen of Paros have recently dropped to 200, and keep dwindling in number. As a result, in the summer, we here on Paros often eat fish from nets of unknown origin, unless we eat out at tavernas that have their own caique boat. But these are just a handful. A lot has changed in the fishing sector in recent years, and work has become easier, but the number of fishermen is constantly declining and the subsidies they receive are eating up their boats.
In the case of Nikos Synodis, at least, this is what happened. He passed from life to death and back to life again. And he started over from scratch. Several of his life files, including that of speech, were corrupted and had to be reconstructed from the beginning. But others, such as painting and his passion for the theatre, remained intact and good to go, though in a different form.
The “anti” art gallery first opened its doors in the summer of 2012, in a Lilliputian 6x3x3m space right by the entrance to the Castle hosting painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewellery, photography, graphic design and video art exhibitions until the autumn of 2022, when it closed. For more than ten years, it gave us a host of memorable moments. Both the gallery and the Antiparos International Photo Festival marked the island’s cultural life for as long as they lasted. In the following interview, Mary Chatzaki, the gallery’s founder, talks to us about these ten high-impact years.
Angelika Vaxevanidou is based in Lefkes keeping her studio in the centre of the village. She is a painter and sculptor endowed with the full range of gifts that art bestows upon its disciples – talent, anguish, concern, constant questioning, constant seeking…
Hidden in the picturesque alleys of Lefkes, right before the great church of Aghia Triada (Holy Trinity) lies the workshop of Todd Marshard. In perfect harmony with the surroundings, the shop –and workshop- lets you into the world of the artist who left New York and a successful career as a fashion photographer, and landed on Paros where he opened his shop and dedicated himself on the art of ceramics. His pottery, unique and personal, his photos on the walls echo his past as a fashion photographer and his creations with pebbles or other materials picked up from the beaches of Paros, speak of his relation with nature.
NOE ceramics is one of the oldest and best-established businesses on Paros. The brand which, for 23 years, has been synonymous with minimalism, clean-cut design and bright colours is the brainchild of Swiss-Parians Pierre-Alain Wolff and Brigitte Thommen, known by the locals as Petros and Brigitte. Following the road signs along the way, you find yourself in an idyllic corner of western Paros, near Aspro Chorio, where you can discover their beautiful clay artistry displayed in a natural setting unspoilt and untouched by time and overdevelopment.
Paros has been my favourite site of research and study since my student years, especially the years of doctoral studies at Cornell University, USA, an institution of renowned academic excellence. There, in the context of an in-depth study of ancient Greek classical sculpture, I had the opportunity to get to know Skopas, a cosmopolitan Parian sculptor of the 4th century B.C., lesser known to the general public compared to the other great figures of his time, Praxiteles and Lysippus.
