THIRTY years after the death of the great Greek artist, Nikos Hatzikyriakos-Ghika, the Benaki Museum has organized an exhibition dedicated to his journey, from the West to the East, in 1958. “Ghika: A Journey from West to East” runs till February 16 at the Benaki Pireos.

In 1957, Nikos Hatzikyriakos-Ghika received an invitation to participate in an international educational exchange program sponsored by the American government. Accepting the invitation, Ghika arrives in Washington in April 1958, from where he will begin a long-term journey, which will be a milestone in his painting. New York, Buffalo, Arizona, San Francisco, Mexico, Hawaii, are some of his destinations.

Fulfilling a lifelong dream, he decides to return to Greece through the East. Thus, he travels to Japan, Hong-Kong, Bangkok, Cambodia, several cities in India and Cairo and finally arrives in Athens via London.

Through drawings, archival material, objects and works of art from these distant lands, the audience has the opportunity to discover how much Ghikas had already immersed himself in the art, thought and religion of the East since the 1930s, recognizing the similarities and the ties between East and West.

Finally, it is also a journey of love, for the artist and his muse, his later wife, Barbara Warner, who met him in New Orleans and shared this unique experience with him.

The exhibition also features an interactive audio-visual application with the artist and his wife as central characters, who guide us through texts and drawings on this fascinating journey.

Thirty years after the death of the great Greek artist, Nikos Hatzikyriakos-Ghikas, the Benaki Museum has organized an exhibition dedicated to his journey, from the West to the East, in 1958. “Ghika: A Journey from West to East” runs till February 16 at the Benaki Pireos.

In 1957, Nikos Hatzikyriakos-Ghika received an invitation to participate in an international educational exchange program sponsored by the American government. Accepting the invitation, Ghika arrives in Washington in April 1958, from where he will begin a long-term journey, which will be a milestone in his painting. New York, Buffalo, Arizona, San Francisco, Mexico, Hawaii, are some of his destinations.

Fulfilling a lifelong dream, he decides to return to Greece through the East. Thus, he travels to Japan, Hong-Kong, Bangkok, Cambodia, several cities in India and Cairo and finally arrives in Athens via London.

Through drawings, archival material, objects and works of art from these distant lands, the audience has the opportunity to discover how much Ghikas had already immersed himself in the art, thought and religion of the East since the 1930s, recognizing the similarities and the ties between East and West.

Finally, it is also a journey of love, for the artist and his muse, his later wife, Barbara Warner, who met him in New Orleans and shared this unique experience with him.

The exhibition also features an interactive audio-visual application with the artist and his wife as central characters, who guide us through texts and drawings on this fascinating journey.

• Benaki Pireos is on 138 Pireos Street. Open Thurs, Fri, Sun, 10am-6pm and Sat 10am-10pm. The exhibition “Ghika: From West to East” runs till Feb 16. Tickets at 9 and 7 euros.

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