“Hellenic heads” features six large busts, each measuring just over six feet tall when the pedestals are added.
They all have a cultural connection with Greece. “If you’re Greek-American,” says artist Georges Petrides“it reminds you of our heritage or parts of our heritage that you should be aware of. »
Petrides took a deep dive into historical research, focusing on six important periods of Greek history spanning 2,500 years.
He also looked to his family for inspiration.
“The blue one is my mother, the green one is my wife, the tormented one is me, because I find myself in these moods,” Petrides told NBC Chicago.
He used himself as a point of reference, drawing inspiration from the Nazi occupation of Greece in the 1940s, experienced by his parents.
“That’s the kind of memory that gets passed on to you, and you start to understand who your parents are, who you are, who your society is,” Petrides said.
In fact, one of the goals of this exhibition is to establish connections between the past and the present.
“When you walk in, you feel the role of women throughout history, whether it’s the hard times of war or today’s heroines, you really feel the sense of female empowerment through this show,” said Elizabeth Niarchos Neukirch, spokesperson for the Hellenic National Museum. .
Neukirch added that the busts were created using a 3D printer, which interprets a clay model and adds any additional materials needed.
“Hellenic heads” will be exhibited at the Hellenic National Museum in Greektown until December 10.
