Healing Through Art: An Exhibition of Hope

During my recent visit in Athens, I visited one of the city well-known Hospital. This was a rather difficult and challenging time for me, as this concerned a health issue of a close family member.

I was in agony and stressed when I got into that hospital. But after a while, I started observing around me, and I was soon surprised to see some impressive works of art around me.

At first I felt shy to go around and watch them, or take photos of them. Around me there were so many people who had health issues, or were waiting for their health updates. But as the day went by and I had to wait long hours, I felt more confident holding my phone and taking photos in a not-so evident way.

This is an artwork by Jimmy Chitas (more about him at the end of this post) - Artwork made with iron, in 2024 and called Idole (ειδώλιο)

The eidólio, or figurine, is one of the most distinctive objects of ancient Greek art. Typically made from clay, stone, or metal, these small sculptures often depicted human figures, deities, or animals and carried a ritualistic or symbolic meaning. They were used in religious ceremonies, offered at temples, worn as talismans, or kept in homes as personal objects of devotion, protection, or emotional expression. Today, these figurines give us valuable insights into ancient life, revealing how deeply art, spirituality, and daily existence were intertwined.

Three beautiful works of art, made of bronze between 2019-2020.
Named: Woman - Torso - Fragment.

There were also beautiful paintings, put in various parts and floors of the two buildings. I only got the chance to see a few of them

This one is from 2013 and is called Liberty, Mytilene.

Some other views I had in the hospital...

Some windows nearby with blue skies, It felt nice to see some nice weather outside

More art, more colors... I was very pleasantly surprised and would also smile at myself, knowing that I would be able to share with people who also love art!

Oil on Canvas, 2023 - titled: Lagonisi

Some words by Dr Panagiotis Pagkalos, the person who curated the Exhibition.

He is mentioning the Greek word Αντιστοίξεις - Counterparts

These are his words translated in English

Counterpoints
Counterpoint, a term from music theory, describes the simultaneous coexistence of independent melodic lines that, despite their differences, form a harmonious whole. This concept extends beyond music, appearing in literature, architecture, sculpture, and visual arts as a method of capturing contrasts—of themes, colors, and shapes that dynamically interact. Counterpoint is not merely a juxtaposition of opposing elements but a studied coexistence that reveals an internal balance and expresses an understanding of dynamic equilibrium. In art, its use fosters rhythmic continuity and expressive harmony, echoing nature’s evolutionary forces.

The work of visual artist Jimmy Chitas embodies multiple counterpoints drawn from nature and the interplay of opposing elements: fire and water, solid and fluid, light and darkness. Fire, symbolizing cyclical time and renewal, is linked to personal experiences of wildfire and destruction, reshaping the artist’s perception of transformation. Water, with its fluidity and energy, conveys motion and impermanence, while earth, as a stable yet defining force, serves as the foundation for his sculptural forms. Air, in turn, acts as a force of transition between tangible and ethereal realities—between an "open-eyed gaze" and a "dreamlike vision."

Chitas’ artistic approach reflects personal encounters with fire, permanently imprinted in his soul yet creatively transformed. The destructive power of flames never becomes an elegy in his work but rather an evolving dialogue. Loss and pain lead to quiet rebirth, revealing a profound connection to the natural world. His work emanates meditative serenity, approaching the acceptance of cosmic silence.

This transformation of personal experience into artistic values—fullness and emptiness, texture and transparency, the visible and the unseen—creates an inner musicality. Chitas invites the viewer into a state of contemplation, balancing opposing forces much like the timeless interplay between Apollonian order and Dionysian chaos.

For Chitas, art is a dynamic dialogue—not a replacement for words, but a realm of endless exploration. Through counterpoint, his work expresses harmony in contrast, translating the rhythms of nature into sculptural form and artistic experience.

Titled: Meeting J P (2023)
Acrylic on canvas

And a detail from the painting

(Me, making some test photos for my photography course)

Forged Iron, 2025
Homo Mensura

"Homo mensura" is a Latin phrase meaning "man is the measure". It comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Protagoras, who said:

"Man is the measure of all things"
(Πάντων χρημάτων μέτρον ἐστὶν ἄνθρωπος)

What does it mean?
At its core, "homo mensura" expresses a relativist view of truth and knowledge. Protagoras meant that:

Truth and perception are subjective — what is true or real depends on the individual perceiving it.

So for example:

If it's cold to you, it's cold — even if someone else feels warm.

There's no absolute truth — only personal experience and interpretation.

Why is it important?
This idea was revolutionary in philosophy because it:

• Challenged absolute truths held by religion or science at the time.

• Placed human experience at the center of understanding the world.

• Influenced later fields like ethics, epistemology, psychology, and even art and education.

Bronze - 2022
Study on a body of a hero

About the artist:
https://www.jimmychitas.com/index.php/about

Jimmy Chitas was born and raised in Australia. He studied sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts.

He has a degree in Forestry and works in the Fire Department Ηeadquarters, as a Senior Officer. His work is organic, ephemeral and is mainly expressed through cold depiction of the hard, deals creatively with volume and its sculptural creations mainly consist of abstract forms and fragments. Concerned with the dialogue between two materials, their composition and texture as well as the concept of the ephemeral, the perishable. Work with primary materials which he adapts and transforms to narrate and imply meaning, sometimes making "ironic" comments.

You can also visit his Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DHVe-hNuUyA/

If you will be in Athens and in the area, the exhibition will be available until the 31st of August 2025.

Thank you for visiting this post, I hope you enjoyed it and you have learnt something new. (I know I did!)