Stefanos Leader
The title of this project is the Greek word of describing the nostalgic feeling of being away from home. It also directly translates to “foreign lands” in English, which describes the feeling of being in a place where the relationship between the person and their place of origin begins to take new form.
The work revolves around the artist’s attitude towards his own national identity, which became his main inspiration in the making of the prints. Since leaving his home country in 2022 Stefanos has lived in Berlin and Dublin, both international cities with big international communities, where distinct cultures and nationalities blend in together.
In the last year Stefanos has done research on the topic of Greek symbolism in 20th century Greek pop art. The outcome of that research led to a project for a series of acrylic screen prints, all dedicated to celebrating Greek identity from the perspective of someone who is re-discovering their cultural upbringings. The motive behind **Xenitia** was influenced by nostalgia, the urge to remind ourselves of where we come from and how we ended up leaving our home in the first place. The prints aim to show an exaggerated depiction of the artist’s Greek-ness, bringing in references from ancient classics, and creating surreal landscapes inspired by the Greek landscape.
Nationalism in the visual arts challenges the ethics and morals of using ethnicity as a way to critique countries and cultures as a whole. Both nationalism & imperialism have been synonymous with some of the most controversial dictatorial regimes in recent history, including the Greek junta between 1967 and 1974. For example, Greek pop art referenced ancient history, Greek classics, western imperialism, and comic books to comment on the social and political climate in the 60s and 70s during Giorgos Papadopoulos’ government. The younger generation of Greek artists like Giannis Gaitis, Alexis Akrithakis and Giorgos Ioannou used their national identity as a tool for a unified front for those who went up against imperialism.
This dissertation focuses on the political and cultural context of Greece during the junta government and the impact it had on reflecting the younger generation. The highlight of the junta’s violent nature was on the 17th of November, a mass protest outside the Polytechnic University of Athens in 1973. The casualties were mainly younger Greek citizens who hoped for a brighter future at a time of oppression in political and cultural freedom. That specific date would later become a key moment in remembering the lives of those who protested for democracy. The combination of playful imagery with traumatised intent presents the cultural impact of the West in Greece at a time of fear and oppression.
Born in Athens and now living in Dublin, Stefanos’ work revolves around cultural findings and heritage. Primarily working with acrylic screen print, Stefanos combines print and collage to re-visit his Greek roots in the context of migration and co-existing among foreign cultures. His method of printmaking bridges between layering colours and creating landscapes through personal and archival imagery.
Stefanos has co-organised and participated in group exhibitions in Athens and Dublin. His most recent exhibitions were the IADT student show **Down the road, Around the corner**, Pallas Projects/ Studios (2026), **Show on September 5th**, PAME hotel in Athens (2024) and the IADT exhibition, **The Place Project**, IMMA Studios (2023).
