A very cold winter day, instead of staying home, I decided to head to Benaki Museum, on Pireos Street, to attend a unique exhibition. The exhibition is titled “Ghika: A Journey from West to East” and features works by the artist Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, along with objects from his personal collections.

Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika (1906-1994) was an important painter, a representative of modernism and the generation of the ’30s, who left his mark with his work in the previous century. He lived in Paris from 1919 for fifteen years, during which time he was heavily influenced by Braque and Picasso and came into contact with many other artists such as Henri Matisse and many others. It was in Paris that he held his first solo exhibition in 1927 and also where he met his first wife, Antigone Kotzia, whom he married in 1929. From 1941 to 1959, he served as a professor at the National Technical University of Athens, teaching freehand drawing. His house on Hydra became a meeting point for great personalities, including Henry Miller and Giorgos Seferis, but was tragically destroyed by a fire in 1961. In 1958, he met his second wife, Barbara Hutchinson. From the 1960s onwards, he spen his time between London and Paris, holding exhibitions both in Greece and abroad. In 1986, he donated 45 of his works to the National Gallery, and in 1989, he donated both his works and his house on Kriesotou Street to Benaki Museum, where a permanent exhibition of Ghika’s works is now housed.

Sand patterns in Tofuku-ji temple, Kyoto, 1958, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Benaki Museum

Entering the exhibition hall, you read about the story behind the six-month journey that marked both the personal life and the subsequent inspiration of the artist. The journey began on March 27, 1958, from Southampton, bound for New York, after receiving an invitation from the American ambassador in Athens to participate in an international educational program sponsored by the U.S. government, which included a round trip to America. Ghika left behind his beloved Barbara, with whom he had started a romance, and arrived in New York on April 1. From there, he visited Washington for an orientation program and then organised his solo exhibition at the Alexander Iolas Gallery in New York. He stayed there until May 22, visiting museums and spending time with friends, with short trips to other cities like Boston and Philadelphia. He made sketches after visiting Niagara Falls. He then traveled to Chicago, where he met professors from the Art Institute and the Institute of Technology, and to New Orleans, where he reunited with Barbara, who would accompany him for the remainder of the journey as they explored the city together.

Niagara Falls, 1958, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Benaki Museum

On June 3, he decided to interrupt the American sponsorship and, at his own expense, traveled to Mexico, where they visited Mérida in Yucatán, Chichen Itza, and Uxmal, where they were impressed by the facades of the buildings. In Mexico City, while taking a boat ride on Xochimilco Lake, Ghika was inspired and made a series of sketches on the spot. In Oaxaca, Ghika sketched the view of the square in many variations.

Boats around the islands in Lake Xochimilko, Mexico, 1958, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Benaki Museum

On June 17, they spent two days in Houston, which did not impress them, and then flew to Albuquerque and Santa Fe, eventually reaching the Grand Canyon in Arizona, where Ghika captured the landscape on napkins. Traveling through the Arizona desert, they reached Phoenix and then San Francisco, where Ghika was impressed by China Town and sketched it.

On June 28, they departed for Hawaii, where, among other places, they visited Iolani Palace, and Ghika drew the throne room, as well as the Ha’uwela Park, where he made a panoramic sketch of the view. Since Ghika had expressed from the start that he wanted to return to Greece through the East, they arrived in Tokyo on July 8. From there, they took a three-day trip to Nikko, visiting sacred temples in the National Park, and made a day trip to Kamakura to see the Great Buddha.

The throne room at Iolani palace, Hawaii, 1958, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Benaki Museum

On July 25, they took the train to Kyoto, where they watched puppet theatre performances and performances by “No” theatre company, which inspired the artist. During their stay in Kyoto, among other activities, they attended a tea ceremony at a geisha’s house, which also became a source of inspiration for Ghika. In the picturesque village of Ohaka, just outside Kyoto, Ghika sketched “Sand patterns” inspired by the garden at the Tofuku-ji Temple. During their stay in Kyoto, they visited many temples.

Scene from the Kabuki theatre, 1958, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Benaki Museum

From there, they traveled to Hong Kong, where they watched Chinese opera, and Gikas sketched the beautiful harbor of the city. On August 25, they left for Bangkok, where they stayed for one night, and then traveled to Cambodia, where they stayed for three days. On August 30, they continued their journey to India, starting with Kolkata. Before reaching Nepal, they stopped in Patna, where Ghika sketched the exhibits at the museum.

Top left: Laos, 1958, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Benaki Museum. Bottom left: Peasant girl from Laos, 1958, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Benaki Museum. Right: A seafront view of Hong Kong, 1958, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Benaki Museum.

In the cities of Nepal, Ghika was inspired and sketched the Durbar Square and the Ratnakar Temple in the city of Patan, as well as the Durbar Square with the old palace in the city of Bhaktapur. Over the following days, they traveled to Benares, New Delhi, and Bombay, until September 28, when they departed from India and arrived in Cairo. Ghika returned to Athens on September 30, leaving his beloved Barbara in London.

Durbar square, Patan, Kathmandu, 1958, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Benaki Museum.

As you progress through the exhibition hall, you begin with the first section, which focuses on the journey to the West, including the tours of North America and Mexico. Later, you visit the second section, which shows the painter’s return to Greece via the East. Through this long journey of love with his partner, who later became his wife, you discover what impressed the painter about the landscapes, people, and experiences he encountered during those months, and how these are reflected in the sketches from that journey. In the same space, there are collections of paintings and objects he owned before this journey, as well as earlier and later works of his, showing how deeply the influence of East was on the creator. In addition to the paintings and collections, there is also an interactive video where you can select parts of the journey and receive important information.

Painter’s personal collection of Chinese snuff bottles, Benaki Museum

The exhibition was truly unique as it presents, through the works, all the stimuli Ghika received at each stop and how these shaped his art. Indeed, this exhibition took us on a journey from West to the depths of Asia through the romantic eyes of the great artist, as this journey was also marked by a great love that was just at its beginning at the time and left a lasting impact on Ghika’s life. Consequently, it also left an impact on us, through the works that were born from the love and the experience of this journey.

Until next time!!!

Design geek in Athens

Note: The tour is available at specific hours of the day, and a reservation is required. Due to high demand, the exhibition has been extended until March 2, 2025, and I would advise you not to miss it.