“How did I come to Athens? I was traveling back and forth since 1966. In 1969 New Gallery asked the engraver Vasso Katraki her opinion on which artist could be hosted for a month as they had a gap in their gallery. She said my name. Caniaris had exhibitions then as well. I lied, I said I was 28 when I was actually 19-20. And I lied that I had studied when I hadn’t even been to a seminar. But since I was 16 years old and traveling to Athens I was being educated. Tsarouchis would give me art magazines. This exhibition was important to me because I was passing resist messages as I had drawn barbed wires and the press had embraced me. I entered with great ease in the avant-garde school of the time. I did a lot. From sets at theaters to artworks in Vougiouklakis film. And today I work from 10am to 12pm. Why don’t the newspapers deal with me? Because I am not dealing with others, I will not ask them to write anything of me just so it’s heard. I have exhibitions in New York at Palm Beach. And I learned foreign languages on the sidewalks. What can I tell you? In 1966 I washed dishes at the “International” patisserie and then I went to Plaka’s bouat. And I spent my mornings at the National Gallery, the headmaster Marinos Kalligas was my friend. I’ve been making art for fifty years.”
Source: protothema.gr