Horizons of space, time, and memory
Visual Artist Agni Zotis speaks to the Hellenic News of America about her explorations in art and her relationship to her hellenic origins.
By Fotios Kaliampakos-Special to the Hellenic News of America
HNA: How did you decide to pursue a career—or better, a life—in painting and art?
Art chose me. It’s always been an inseparable part of my life, woven into the fabric of my existence. It’s not just a career, but a way of being. As a dyslexic child, I found expressing myself through images came more naturally than words. This visual language became my means of communication, allowing me to freely convey my thoughts and feelings. At 18, in my first live model painting class at Hunter College, I had an epiphany: painting gave me the power to explore and express the complexities of reality in a way that transcended the ordinary. This realization ignited my passion and solidified my purpose and identity as a painter.
Art has remained the constant thread in my life. It’s what I’ve always done. I love creating my own world, playing life by my own rules. Art allows me to experience, reflect on, and express reality while developing my unique voice. I primarily paint, though I also incorporate video, sound, and light installations. Over the past 20 years, I’ve had gallery spaces in the East Village, LES, and Chelsea, which became both my studio and a gathering and exhibiting place for artists. These spaces organically nurtured an avant-garde art movement in NYC.
My philosophy centers on “Know Thyself,” with art being the truest expression of self-discovery. Through my “Creative Mindfulness” method, I developed, I help others see life as the ultimate masterpiece we create through our presence. My creation of the MAY Kids Transform Foundation—born from my son’s inspiration and my own activism, as I believe its empowering to develop self-awareness, is one of my biggest endeavors, merging creativity with mindfulness. The MAY Curriculum, written 15 years ago, is being shared internationally with youth and educators to promote a more positively sustainable and mindful future. For me, great art is a pure language of existence that communicates with both the self and the world.
HNA: Where did you study, and how is your art affected by your Greek and American heritage?
I grew up in Astoria and spent my teenage years in the East Village, immersed in the punk and new wave scenes, that influenced me to live outside the stereotype of the Greek community. I studied Fine Arts and Psychology at Hunter College and anatomy drawing at the Art Students League. My interest in mysticism led me to apprentice with a Serbian monk studying Byzantine iconography in Astoria and later with a Buddhist monk, learning Mandala painting in Pokhara, Nepal. I still use ancient techniques today—making my own paints and working with pigments, metals, precious stones—blending these ancient traditions with modern views. I traveled extensively living and experiencing different cultures, religions and rituals that give me knowledge on many cultures.
The question of Greek and American influences is complex and intertwined and can’t be separated from my being or my work. I carry the deepest traditions of the old world within my DNA and psychology—passed down from my parents and grandparents and favorite philosophy—while living as a free woman and global citizen in the constantly evolving landscape of NYC.
My parents are from Northern Greece, Kastoria. Their lives, like many others, were deeply marked by the wars, so much so they migrated when very young from Greece. My families stories consisted of heroism, bravery, pride, hardships and survival of the Balkan Wars, WWI, WWII, and the brutal Greek Civil War—and the scars of those conflicts still resonate in my family history. My mom is from Epiros, her family left their ancestral land, when she was a baby to never return. My father’s roots in Dispilio are deep within the picturesque town on the lake, that houses a Neolithic Civilization and now museum, including The Dispilio Tablet, one of the oldest written forms on record, dates back 7,700 years. Being an immigrant and belonging to nowhere and everywhere is part of my narrative. The odyssey is deeply imbedded within from birth.
Greece, is more than a place, she is a grand idea, that has always influenced me through her light, myths, philosophy, and mysticism. As a child, stories of heroes and their journeys shaped my understanding of human nature. I connect with the psychological archetypes these stories present within all of us. The ancients where highly intelligent to human nature. Socrates, inspires me especially his commitment to the truth—even in the face of death. Plato’s republic has stayed with me throughout my life. The emerge of the cave into the light has influenced my life greatly that I painted a series called Be Nice. Other series of work, such as Punk Monk and The Headless Pig, reflect my personal experiences and my desire to examine human patterns. One vivid childhood memory of my grandfather sacrificing a pig for Christmas gave me the image of the pig running aimlessly, headless—a metaphor for how humanity often struggles to escape its own patterns. Another series is called “Step into the Light” inspired by Heraclitus, “You Can’t Step into The Same River Twice, for other waters are continually flowing”.
In past years I reexamined the Odyssey and worked on a series called “Silver Lining” all about the journey to return home, which is the self.
My work constantly explores the tension between the microcosm and macrocosm, examining our existence and the journey of self-discovery, KNOW THYSELF.
HNA: How do you view the distinction between modern and classical art? Is it still meaningful in the art process or education? Where would you place yourself?
Art, for me, is a direct reflection of life. I have no interest in distinctions or boundaries, as I believe art has the ultimate power to transcend these and offer a broader perspective on existence. Art is pure language—it tells the truth, along with the good, the bad and the ugly. It is the only form of expression where one can be truly authentic.
I believe in mastery and the importance of developing one’s craft. An artist must understand their medium and its language, which takes time and dedication. Without passion and emotion, art becomes hollow and meaningless. I strive to create work that transmits hope, beauty, and deeper meaning.
Regarding art education, I don’t think formal schooling is crucial, but making work is. My process is rooted in tapping into emotions and finding a way to communicate them through the medium. As a contemporary artist, I see myself as a free spirit, living a life that is a masterpiece in itself. I’m deeply interested in philosophy, mysticism, and quantum physics—asking questions without easy answers. I love engaging with the world and helping others see that we can create beauty, even in a world that often feels overwhelmed by scarcity and ugliness. Our outlook is a personal choice we make every day, whether we are aware of the decisions or not.
HNA: What is your creative process?
My work explores the relationship between cosmology and divinity. I approach my practice in series, exploring a specific theme and concept, each painting part of a puzzle—each piece contributes to the whole. The underlying theme of my work has been individuality within universal consciousness, honoring nature’s uniqueness while recognizing its connection to the whole. Paintings are mirrors of self-reflection, imbued with meditative energy and passionate emotion. They inspire to look within and question external reality. Just as electrons orbit atoms, atoms make up molecules, molecular structure takes form, planets form solar systems, and the big bang erupts energy and matter into existence, the paintings plays on the interconnectedness and representation between the micro and the macrocosm—as a continually blossoming fractal. Primordial essence is explored through color and form demonstrating vibration of an emotion in motion. Light is used as knowledge, and the way it is used changes what we perceive “To Be”.
I mix my own colors, carefully selecting pigments, precious stones, gold, silver, phosphorescent and bioluminescent materials. The physical act of creating becomes a gathering and release of energy on the canvas, at first raw, full body engagement, representing free-will and allowing for destiny to take its place, as the materials become alive, followed by precise and detail-oriented brushwork as I build layer upon layer. I work obsessively, each layer representing time, growth, and the process of being.
I have developed my technique over three decades that utilizes light to shape perception and alter our understanding of reality. I harness the subconscious mind and intuition to guide the flow of energy. Just as humans, reflect light in our physical bodies and spirit, so too do the pigments and raw minerals I use. They absorb, reflect, and refract light, creating a living dialogue between color and energy. My goal is to create paintings that are alive with color, transforming and flowing as the viewer interacts with them.
HNA: You’ve spent a lot of time in Greece in recent years. Can you tell us about your inspirations and aspirations there? What is your next project?
My projects in Greece are an honoring and merging of the ancient world—my roots—with the modern world where I belong. During the pandemic, trapped in NYC and forced to look even deeper within myself, I revisited the Odyssey and the question of “what is home?” This exploration reinforced the idea that home is the acceptance of self, a concept that I continue to reflect on in my work.
Returning to Greece has also been inspired by the support of my collectors and supporters. While my network has always been international in New York City, I feel it’s now time to connect more deeply with my heritage.
This journey feels like a nostos (homecoming)—a personal Odyssey. I’ve come to appreciate Greece more fully as an adult. I’m drawn to its simplicity, its complex history, and the humanity embedded in its culture.
Last year, I painted a body of work on Paros at Cycladic Arts, inspired by Despotiko, an important recent archaeological discovery. Despotiko, located near Antiparos, was a hub of commerce in the ancient world. My series, Odyssey of Time, reflects this connection to Time, Devotion and Resilience. Antiparos, which my son introduced me to over a decade ago, remains one of my favorite islands in Greece, and we’ve shared many precious memories as a family.
In in past September, I was invited by Ilia Katsos to create a new series of paintings called Fireflies, which contemplates the ethereal and impermanent nature of being. This project draws from the writings of Lafcadio Hearn, 17th-century Japanese Haiku masters, and the heroic act of the Japanese captain who saved over 4,000 Greek and Armenian lives during the barbaric burning of Smyrna in 1922. The event, Hellenic/Japanese Relations: From Lafcadio Hearn to the Tokei Maru, was sponsored by EMBCA and hosted by Mary Cardanas and The Demos Center at The American College in Athens. In Athens, I was honored to speak about my work in the presence of ambassadors and representatives from Greece, Japan, Ireland, and the United States. During this event, EMBCA presented the Humanitarian Award to His Excellency Koichi Ito, the Japanese Ambassador in Athens.
In late October, I participated in a group exhibition with Gris Festival at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation in Athens.
During my time in Greece, I also revisited my hometown of Kastoria. I plan to create a project reflecting the 8 millenniums of fascinating history in this beautiful city. It is home to one of the oldest lake settlements, to the Byzantine Empire to name a couple. Looking ahead, I hope to visit Epirus and Dodona, which hold deep personal and historical significance for me. There are also plans for exhibitions in Athens and teaching opportunities. I’m working on several exciting projects with tremendous potential, which I’ll share as they come to fruition. One major project is preparing a major exhibition in New York City, while also developing global teaching initiatives.
In my view, it’s time for us, as Greeks, to rediscover and celebrate our own history—beyond the suffering caused by war. Understanding our past is essential to creating a better future. More importantly, I believe it’s time for the world to recognize Greece for what it truly is: not just a beautiful tourist destination or a place defined by political corruption, but the cradle of Western civilization. Greece represents pure intellectual light and humanity, which should be recognized and honored before the forces of globalization transform it irrevocably.
Ultimately, I aim to connect the dots between Greece’s ancient past and its place in the modern world, sharing her story with a global audience.
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