This publication was released on the occasion of the eponymous exhibition organized by the Cultural Foundation of the National Bank at the exhibition space of the Eynard Mansion (May 27 - September 30, 2017). The organization of the exhibition was prompted by the donation of the artist's archive to MIET by his son, Yannis Matsakis, and his family.

This volume gathers for the first time paintings, drawings, and iconographies by Michis Matsakis, spanning his fifty-year artistic career. MICHIS MATSAKIS was born in Myra, Asia Minor, in 1900 to parents of Dodecanese descent. The family settled in Alexandria in 1906, and in 1918 the young Matsakis graduated from the Greek High School of Alexandria.

In 1921, he left for studies in painting in Paris, but within the same year, he abandoned it and went to Munich, where he initially attended classes at the private school of Hans Hofmann Schule für Bildende Kunst. Subsequently, in 1922, he was accepted into the prestigious Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. In 1926, he returned to Alexandria and began his artistic career.

He entered the artistic and literary circles of the city, met K. P. Cavafy, created portraits of prominent Alexandrians, exhibited his works in solo exhibitions in Alexandria and Cairo, and participated in group exhibitions. He remained in Egypt until 1932, making trips to Greece and Cyprus, where he drew inspiration from their landscapes.

In 1932 he settled with his family in Athens. He became friends with D. Pikionis, F. Kontoglou, S. Papaloukas, and D. Davas. His first exhibition in Athens took place successfully in May 1932 at the “Parnassus” hall. During the 1930s, Matsakis served as president of the artists' association “Union of Free Artists” and general secretary of the “Union of Visual Arts Societies,” while continuing to exhibit regularly and engaging in substantial union activity.

In 1947, he undertook the task of painting the iconostasis of the metropolitan church of the Greek community in Alexandria, the Annunciation of the Virgin, and returned to Egypt, where he stayed until 1956. During this period, he also worked in many churches of the Greek community and continued his secular work.

However, even after his return to Greece, he remained extremely active, exhibiting in Athens, the provinces, and abroad, undertaking the iconography of churches in Greece, Egypt, and the USA, and working on the decoration of the Zappeion Mansion (1968) and the preservation of the interior decorations of the National Library (1974). He died in Athens in 1978.

The painting and drawing work of Matsakis, realistic at its core, is primarily inspired by the lessons of Impressionism. It captures forms, often of his acquaintances, scenes of daily life, especially street scenes, as well as landscapes, from places that are sometimes named and sometimes not. The colors in his portraits seem to highlight the emotional dimension of the depicted individuals, while the landscapes respectfully reflect the atmosphere of each location.

The sea and the plain alternate with the village and the city. His inspiration draws from images both of Egypt, where he grew up, and Greece, where he settled later. Nevertheless, his artistic vision is generally attracted to a multitude of themes, which he continually records and depicts wherever he is. Significantly, after 1960, the landscape of the Aegean becomes a dominant theme in his painting.

The publication is complemented by an informative text and a timeline prepared by art historian Spyros Moschonas, unpublished writings by Michis Matsakis (a lecture on F. Kontoglou, S. Papaloukas, and O. Argyris, and a theoretical text on the artistic issues of the Interwar period), and critiques of his work by O. Elytis, D. Pikionis, E. Vakalo, and D. Kokkinos.