ITHACA REGAINED

GREEK ARTISTS IN NEW YORK

Morfy Gikas

Born in Athens in 1946, Morfy’s interest in art came naturally, and she enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Athens when she was only 15. Graduating with high honors she came to the United States to study ceramics at Stony Brook, and then returned to Greece. Since 1998 she has divided her time between her studios on Long Island and Athens, and her experiences in each country affect her approach to each piece.

The major influences on her work are Abstract Expressionism, assemblage, and the artists Lucio Fontana and George Segal. Her work has been described as “iconic” and she often incoporates religious imagery. It is clear in her art that she stands at the crossroads of two cultures and benefits from both. As she herself has said, “A new landscape can affect your life and change your thoughts…I love New York, I absorb New York, I live in New York -- not America. I lived my childhood in Greece and my heart is there."