Benaki Shops presents a new limited-edition collection of sculptures reproducing works by the significant Greek sculptor Yannis Pappas.

The inspiration behind the collection originated from a sculpture study for a mounted statue of Georgios Karaiskakis, which is included in the ongoing Benaki Museum exhibition "1821 Before and After".

The mounted Karaiskakis is accompanied by two more works. "Mother", part of a series of studies made by the artist on the occasion of the birth of his son, and "Owl", an impressive sculpture inspired by an owl that kept Pappas company during the summers in his estate at the island of Aegina.

These three sculptures are seemingly unrelated to each other, but representative of Yannis Pappas’ thematic explorations and emotional approach to his art. They were hand-cast in bronze using the traditional ‘lost wax’ method in a limited number of copies, under the supervision of the Yannis Pappas Studio.

This ancient practice requires for every single reproduction the production of a new wax model each time and the repletion of the whole casting process. It is an entirely handmade practice that entails months of work and is completed with a hand-patinated finish, rendering every facsimile an authentic, unique sculpture.

The life trajectory of Yannis Pappas, his teaching for a quarter of a century, his engagement with important public commissions, as well as his writings on art and literature imbued his works with a humane classicism which eschews academism. Alongside symbolic and genre themes, Pappas specialised in portraits both of his contemporaries – a veritable gallery of the Greek twentieth century – as well as historical figures.

Discover the collection here.