“When art meets marine life” is the name of an exhibition featuring the works of fisherman Nikos Mplazakis. The event takes place in Chania’s old Turkish hammam on Katre street, which was recently converted into a culture and exhibition center. Argophilia has exclusive information in English about the creator and what inspired his work.
“When art meets marine life” inspired by the sea and fishing
“It all started with little silicon fish made as bait” Nikos Mplazakis tells me via his daughter, who acts as the translator. He doesn’t speak any English, and he doesn’t need to. His art speaks volumes.
From bait to other life-size sculptures were just a step and the time this global COVID-19 pandemic imposed on most of us. The pandemic determined Mr. Mplazakis to turn to art. He is a fisherman, and with business going slow, he couldn’t bear to stand still. So he sculpted in silicone dolphins, cuttlefish, swordfish, and all kinds of other marine creatures, partly because he missed the sea and his profession, and partly because he thought others may miss the sea just about the same.
“I put my passion in art instead of fishing while in quarantine,” said Mr. Mplazakis. “My passion inspired me every day.”
And probably Hercules had something to do with this form of self-expression because he is Mr. Mplazakis’s hero: “Hercules has not only a strong body but also a strong mind and he thinks before he acts,” the fisherman turned self-thought artist explained.
Mr. Mplazakis’s art exhibition, aptly named “When art meets marine life,” opened its doors in Chania’s Turkis hammam on Kasteli Hill (Katre street), the city’s newest art and culture center. Visitors can enjoy it between October 16th and 25th free of charge, every day from 9:00 to 13:00 and 18:00 to 21:00.
Many people turned to creative venues during the COVID-19 pandemic imposed isolation and lockdowns but few managed to create enough to share with others in exhibitions like Nikos Mplazakis’s “When art meets marine life.” His work has value for showing what is possible even in trying times.
The exhibition “When art meets marine life,” can serve as inspiration to other creators to share their works with the rest of the world. The coronavirus pandemic doesn’t seem to slow down but life goes on and we can still enjoy the little things – perhaps now more than ever as we have a new appreciation of life in all its forms.