If I remember correctly, in the early '90s, Dimitris Maronitis suggested that I illustrate images from the Odyssey, which he was translating at the time. It was to be a special luxury edition, in a limited number of copies, and would be accompanied by handmade illustrations. I gladly accepted and got to work.

However, after two months of work, unexpectedly the publishing project sank. I had already entered the dance and did not stop my efforts. In the free time I managed to find, I continued illustrating the rhapsodies, because, regardless of the proposal made to me, the Odyssey had been on my mind for a long time.

In an exhibition in 1987 with the theme of the sea, among other works, I presented three paintings inspired by rhapsody E, that is, Odysseus on Calypso's island. Thus, the initial idea-proposal from Maronitis became the spark that allowed me to continue for the next twenty years without any publishing or other type of program.

I must also say that another emotional bond motivated me to continue the effort of illustrating the rhapsodies of the Odyssey. The reason was an unforgettable childhood encounter. One winter night, as a guest at my mother's brother's house, Uncle Theophilus, we gathered around the brazier with his two children, my cousins - a girl and a boy, roughly the same age as me, seven or eight years old. We were in the 1930s.

Whenever I was there, my uncle would gather us to tell us a story from Greek mythology. That evening, he began recounting the adventures of Odysseus after the fall of Troy. The narration, with the slow rhythm of a fairy tale, lasted from dusk until midnight. The ending was impressive, remaining unforgettable for me.

The recognition of Odysseus by his loved ones, Eumaeus, Eurycleia, Penelope, and Telemachus, touched us so much that all three of us burst into tears. The talented storyteller, Uncle Theophilus, a refugee like my parents, had completed his School Principalship in Novorossiysk, and when he came to Greece, he had to work as a glass craftsman at the Fertilizer Company in Drapetsona. He had a passion for ancient culture and extraordinary knowledge. I owe my love for Greek antiquity to him.

Now, two observations about the painting trials. The first concerns their size. Initially, they were created on cardboard sheets that did not exceed 16-20 cm, using acrylic paints. The second observation concerns the painting style of the images. There may be formal changes that reflect the broader changes in my painting. This is more clearly discernible in paintings larger than the trials conducted in the last decade.

And so, twenty years passed, and as usually happens, thoughts and ideas remained on paper. However, it seems that, albeit somewhat delayed, both Dimitris Maronitis and I are able to realize at least this idea thanks to the Cultural Foundation of the National Bank.