The publication was realized on the occasion of the homonymous exhibition organized by the Cultural Foundation of the National Bank at the exhibition space of the Eynard Mansion (June 6 - October 28, 2017). The exhibition presents for the first time documents of the life and work of the sculptor Phokion Rok (1891–1945), as well as sculptures, wood carvings, drawings, and draft applications from his personal archive.

Phokion Rok (Argostoli 1891–Athens 1945), a particularly significant Greek artist of the early 20th century, was a descendant of the French Pierre-Nicolas Rok, who settled in Athens in 1789. Orphaned of mother, he was essentially raised by his uncle Nikolaos Rok, a man of strong personality, status, and high-level education, thanks to whose connections he gained access to the artistic circles of the time.

He studied at the School of Arts in Athens and continued attending classes at the Académie Julian and the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In 1919, he rented a studio on Diogenes Street 4 in Plaka along with painters Periklis Byzantine and Pavlos Kaliga, which also served as a meeting place for artists and writers.

In 1927, he participated as a founding member in the Artists' Club "Atelier", which later became (1936) the "Roof of Letters and Arts," an initiative of artists and art lovers aimed at promoting the artistic movement of the area. Since 1926, he engaged systematically in wood carving, influenced by folk tradition.

In 1931, he undertook and executed the relief for the monument of the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma, collaborating closely with the sculptor Kostas Dimitriadis. He carried out public and private commissions, mainly busts, as well as free works. A visual artist and at the same time an intellectual with a wide range of interests, he was very active in all the artistic and social events of his time.

He worked as a curator and teacher in the Sculpture Department of the Athens School of Fine Arts (ASKT) and wrote numerous articles on contemporary art and current affairs in many newspapers. In line with his teaching vision, he published in 1944 the book "Art Lessons of Ingres, Rodin, Bourdelle," which he edited and translated himself.

His first wife, Nina Papazafeiropoulou, whom he married in 1929, was the founder of the Studio gallery in Karytsi Square, where many well-known artists exhibited. In 1936, he married his second wife, Sofia Mela, with whom he had a son, Nikolaos Rok-Mela.

The publication includes photographs of the exhibits and photographic material from the life and archive of the artist. It is supplemented with an introductory text, a timeline, and a description of his archive by Katia M. Chandra, as well as texts by himself, Z. Papantoniou, and S. Skipi.