Lake Kerkini is usually seen as just another stop on the map of northern Greece’s tourist routes—a place people visit for its nature, birds, and peaceful atmosphere. Almost everyone planning a trip here knows that at the lake you can birdwatch, go boating, photograph the scenery, ride a bike, and visit the surrounding villages.
However, getting to know Kerkini doesn’t have to be limited to this familiar set of experiences. While we were here, we noticed that there is another way to engage with this place—one that is more personal, attentive, and less obvious.
You can, for example, choose a spot with a view of the water and the mountains and stay there for a while, watching how the color of the water changes and how the light gradually transforms the landscape. You can close your eyes and focus on the sounds, hearing how the birdsong, the buzzing of insects, the splashing of water, and the rustling of leaves come together into a single composition. And through this attention to sounds, you can gradually sense the rhythm and wholeness of the surrounding environment.
If you open your eyes again, you can watch the birds moving in the sky—how their flight paths form shapes resembling symbols or letters—and try to read their messages.
Or choose to slow down your pace and walk while focusing on each step and on how your sensations change depending on the surface beneath your feet, and how differently we feel when walking on grass or on rocks, and notice changes in smells and the temperature of the surrounding air.
Or take a notebook with you and sketch lines, shapes, and colors in it, without striving for any particular result, but simply following your attention. And through this, learn a great deal about the surrounding landscape.
Living here, we experience nature in exactly this way. And the results of these practices are our works.
For us, art is a way to immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of this place, which is why our studio is located next to the lake, and our entire artistic practice is built in direct connection with it. We create our works, striving to express the experience of a deep connection with the nature of this place.
If you’re planning a trip to Lake Kerkini and would like to see our work, you can easily include a visit with us in your itinerary.
You can find us at our studio in the village of Mandraki or at the Mandraki port. We display and sell original artworks and art prints. We invite you not to a formal exhibition, but to an open gathering. You can come, view the works, talk with us, and choose what resonates with you.