Page 62 - MYCONIAN COLLECTION MAG 2021

discover|local people

OFFER A

GIFT

THAT LASTS

FOREVER

Melina Patakiouta

THE SMELL OF EGG at her workshop
is unmistakable. Using the traditional w w w . t h e ar t do s e . c o m
medium of tempera, Melina gathers
eggs from the coop to mix with mineral
pigments using “her babies” – her
brushes – and paint Orthodox icons.
This technique goes back millennia
and is part of what Melina Patakiouta
calls her “ritual” to start painting on
crude, heavy wood. “An icon is not
just a representation; it’s in my soul”.
Hailing from Mykonos on her mother’s
side, Melina recalls happy childhood
visits – “The smell of the land on our Art Curation
way from the port to Ano Mera. It
was heaven – our refuge”. Despite Hotel Art Corners
an aptitude for painting, she had not
found her calling until a difficult period, Event Gifts for Special Occasions
when she “woke up and said, I want to
paint icons. I think it was a godsend”. Corporate and Business Gifts
So, she studied Byzantine murals and
icons, a life journey that culminated Wedding Gifts and Bombonieres
in her return to her Mykonos roots,
eight years ago. “It feels like we have Custom Christening Gifts
always been here”, she says. “Locals
have embraced my art, and I have & more ...
Mykonos to thank for that”. Having
accepted Nikos Zouganelis’s proposal Find us online or visit our store!
to set up her workshop at Rizes
Traditional Farmstead, she continues
to create religious artwork and icons Aggelou Metaxa 33, Glyfada 16674
for churches and chapels. She speaks Florida Mall, Ground floor
with awe about the Monastery of +30 210 9680505
Panagia Tourliani, and explains that
her work fascinates visitors regardless info@theartdose.com
of ethnicity or denomination. “As an @theartdose
art, it is fascinating, especially when
you are watching someone create it” –
as you can do at her Rizes workshop.
EMBRACING TRADITION
Melina Patakiouta beams when she speaks about her work rituals. From praying to mixing pigments
the ancient way and choosing the right canvas, iconography is her calling.

062 MYCONIAN COLLECTION