Romanian artist Mathias Bar’s series of uncanny paintings, presented by META Spațiu, captured our attention for similar reasons—in one piece, human figures are menacingly surrounded by black panthers, while in another, they wear unsettling masks. Bar’s work is known for exploring the complexities of contemporary life, translating social realities into a visual landscape that emphasizes the prey-predator dynamic. His focus on the human body not only engages with this theme but also echoes its enduring significance in art history.

Equally emotionally and just as psychologically charged were Greek artist Vassilis Selimas’ children’s portraits at Sianti Gallery which immediately drew our attention with their vibrant palette of saturated hues. Painted with meticulous detail in a style blending surrealism and realism, Selimas’ young subjects appear stoic, unfazed, and expressionless, in contrast to the vivid backdrops. However, their inner states are subtly conveyed through symbolic, incongruous elements and unconventional settings, adding layers of complexity to their otherwise serene expressions.

Portraiture was also central to Greek painter Michail Parlamas whose large mixed-media painting "The Hooker" at Ersi Gallery’s booth remains vivid in our memory. Part of his series of self-portraits inspired by iPad selfies, the painting is constructed from layers of disproportionate facial features that Parlamas sources online. Caught between the virtual and physical worlds, the dysmorphic portrait reflects the constructed personas imposed by contemporary society while simultaneously celebrating diversity and unconventional beauty. 

Other colourful compositions that resonated with us were Efthimis Malafouris’ painting “The Kiss” at Peritechnon Karteris Art Gallery, Antonakis’ series of erotic drawings at Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery, which reimagine explicit pornographic content on the internet through a Cubist lens of colourful abstraction, and Jasmin Rapti’s surreal work at LTEC Gallery/M.A.M.A Contemporary which included whimsically detailed paintings and drawings, and a zany sculpture of a baby doll covered in tiny toys.

The expressive use of colour was also a prominent feature in many of the fair's standout works, such as London-based Colombian artist Douglas Cantor's large-scale paintings at Enari Gallery, exploring his experience as a Latino immigrant in the UK. Cantor blended personal and emotional elements with familiar imagery, capturing the evolving realities, dreams, and challenges of immigrant life while reconciling his identity and experiences.

Colour also played a pivotal role in New York-based Greek artist Panos Tsagaris’ hypnotic mixed-media painting at Kalfayan Galleries, which draws on spiritualism, esotericism, and the occult, Achilleas Christidis’ large canvases at Ersi Gallery—a colourful frenzy of brushstrokes animating expressionistic depiction of interior settings—and French painter Ugo Li’s surreal dining table scene at Wilhelmina’s. Incorporating fragmented images from newspapers, magazines, and other media, Li channels his stream of consciousness onto the canvas, interweaving dreams, memories, reflections, and daily experiences.

Equally vibrant and personal was Mathieu Cherkit’s exuberantly coloured painting at XIPPAS’  booth. A leading figure in the emerging French generation of figurative painters, Cherkit draws inspiration from his home—a one-floor residence with a garden—which serves as a backdrop for exploring themes like childhood memories, trinkets, and his recent experience of fatherhood. His work delves into the nature of painting, creating a personal universe that transcends realism.

At Dio Horia’s booth, we were captivated by Cypriot artist Chris Akordalitis’ "Bubble Gum", a vibrant oil painting that playfully captures three children fooling around at home. Drawing inspiration from his ancestral roots, including his father's avocado farm, as well as the primitive art traditions of Africa, Asia, and French Polynesia, Akordalitis blends everyday observations with mystical symbolism, elevating moments of simple pleasure as antidotes to self-destructive patterns.

Other highlights at Dio Horia included Elias Kafouros’ hypnotically vivid drawing "One Flew Over the Dragon’s Nest (The St. George Experiment)", a prime example of the acclaimed artist’s practice of blending influences from film, online culture, Renaissance painting, and Buddhist meditation mandalas. We also saw new work by London-based Serbian artist Maja Djordjevic, rendered in her signature pixelated aesthetic. Inspired by the digital sketches she created as a child on Microsoft Paint, Djordjevic’s meticulously crafted oil and enamel paintings feature her alter ego—a recurring naked girl designed to convey emotions beyond verbal expression and celebrate female strength and vulnerability.

Interestingly, Djordjevic was not the only artist at Art Athina with a connection to Microsoft Paint. Greek painter Zisis Bliatkas also employs this medium to create digital images, which he then prints on canvas, as seen in his work "Sunday Morning Star" at Rebecca Camhi’s booth. Bliatkas’ work—distinct from that of his father, Nikolas Bliatkas, showcased at ASTROLAVOS’ booth—stood out for its luscious colour palette, hyper-digitized style, and playful picture-in-picture composition. Notably, the printed canvas was incorporated into a mattress. Drawing inspiration from early computer games and forms of digital illustration from the noughties, Bliatkas explores the relationship between humans, technology, and ecology.

Early video game graphics also inspire Pavlos Tsakonas, the solo artist representing Depo Darm gallery at Art Athina. Known for his gigantic mural of Albrecht Dürer’s "Praying Hands" in Athens—ingeniously inverted to suggest that it is the Lord praying for the people rather than the other way—Tsakonas presented a series of drawings and paintings that riff on the pixelated iconography of early video games.

Not all of the artworks that captured our attention were animated by vivid colours. For instance, at Crux Galerie’s booth, we were drawn to the work of Vangelis Gokas, a Greek artist who reconstructs photographic images through painting, creating mysterious, allusive spaces. Rendered in muted tones, Gokas invites viewers to reconstitute the image based on their own subjective experiences. Equally enigmatic were Rania Rangou’s oil paintings at Alma Gallery, which exude an oneiric aura—what she refers to as “abstract realism”—exploring our paradoxical perception of reality. Imbued with personal references, her works tiptoe between realism and surrealism, undermining our sense of certainty and appealing to the subconscious.

Other monochromatic highlights included a black-and-white photograph by Per Barclay (Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center), a Norwegian artist who challenges perceptual habits by exploring environments as bodies and bodies as enigmatic sculptures. We also admired work by Tasos Anastasiadis (Marginalia Gallery), a Cypriot artist who whimsically examines sociopolitical narratives by appropriating the iconography of Medieval manuscripts, and the pencil drawings of rock formations by Pantelis Chandris (CITRONNE Gallery), a Greek artist who delves into themes of time, memory, and identity, blending elements of history with personal experience.

Chandris made up part of an older generation of Greek artists at the fair, alongside George Hadoulis, Nikolas Bliatkas, Nikolas Klironomos, and Alexandros Psychoulis, whose work we also highlighted. With a career spanning over 30 years, Hadoulis explores perception and representation through painting, drawing, printmaking, and ceramics. Inspired by nature, mythology, and the Mediterranean, his creations blend intellectual rigor with vibrant sensuality, capturing movement, space, and time while radiating joy and optimism, as exemplified by his vibrant paintings and ceramic works at Skoufa Gallery’s booth.

Equally striking were Nikolas Bliatkas' large painting of an exotic greenhouse, which reflects his fascination with the environment, and Nikolas Klironomos’ depiction of the visual impact of construction machinery on the cityscape, both showcased at ASTROLAVOS art galleries. Meanwhile, Alexandros Psychoulis' dreamlike cloudscapes at a.antonopoulou.art evoked a more romantic, ethereal tone.

A romantic sensibility also resonated in Greek artist George Stamatakis’ Japanese landscape paintings on linen screens at Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, as well as in Russian artist Martin Pilipchuk’s "Meteora Paintings". Created from sketches made during a month-long stay in Meteora last year (MAZI Projects), Pilipchuk’s series reimagines the iconic rock formations as surreal, dreamlike settings. The ethereal quality of the paintings was enhanced by a live sound performance in collaboration with Greek sound artist Dimitra Kousteridou, which was part of a site-specific installation by the Polish art collective Razem Pamoja Foundation.

Moving beyond traditional mediums, we were particularly impressed by the work of Yiannis Stempilis and Olga Migliaressi-Phoca. Drawing on his background as a jewellery designer, Stempilis creates collage-like artworks from various metal sheets, including zinc, bronze, copper, and brass, which he carves, oxidizes, and sometimes burns. As even the slightest mistake can be catastrophic, each piece requires at least two months to complete. This is exemplified by his work "Three Metals and the Blue Caribbean Girl", showcased at Αrt Zone 42's booth, where the figure of a woman is meticulously formed by stamping countless points onto the metal sheets.

At The Breeder’s space, the mirrored artworks of Olga Migliaressi-Phoca captivated visitors with their large-scale dimensions, ever-changing reflections, and caustic humour—playfully riffing on VOGUE magazine covers as part of her 12-piece installation "The Future is Vague / 2023". Meticulously crafted through a labour-intensive process involving bleaching, scratching, and painting, these fictional covers critically examine consumer desire, surveillance, and the challenges of self-definition in isolation, revealing the profound impact of commercial influences on our perceptions. Complementing Migliaressi-Phoca’s work were sculptural pieces by Panos Profitis, this year’s recipient of the Art Athina’s Emerging Artist Award.

Additional artists working with unconventional materials who struck a chord include Maria Efstathiou, whose porcelain series of paper-thin panels incredibly resemble creased or folded pieces of paper (Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery),and  Christina Mitrentse, who used vintage books to create her “Fungi Classification” tableau and fungi-shaped stools (CITRONNE Gallery).

We also singled out artist duo Kalos&Klio, whose “On the Tapis” series of handwoven rugs and textiles (Kalfayan Galleries) intertwines global socio-political themes, ancient archetypes, and modern symbols to explore issues of oppression and freedom, and Brazilian artist Vik Muniz’s kaleidoscopic collage "Women on the Bank of the Seine, after Courbet, after Picasso" (XIPPAS). A homage to Picasso’s famous painting, and part of his "Surfaces" series, Muniz's work was composed of multiple layers of photographic images of painted surfaces, prompting viewers to question their relationship with art in an era dominated by digital mediation.

Discreetly located at the back exit of Zappeion Hall, the “Project Spaces” section dedicated to independent art spaces was easy to overlook. This was unfortunate, as it showcased some of the exhibition's most compelling works, including Dionisis Christofilogiannis’ striking sculpture, "Embroidered Riches". Presented as part of Sealed Earth Ceramic Studio and Gallery’s “Sheltered Dreams,” the piece featured a bread-made lattice, meticulously mimicking the intricate embroidery of the National Bank of Greece’s front door. The sculpture explored the theme of "vanitas," emphasizing the impermanence of material possessions and prompting reflection on life's fleeting nature. Equally captivating were Christofilogiannis’ other works, including a rudimentary bread-tile roof, and Natalia Manta’s evocative ceramic objects, reminiscent of musical instruments and incense burners, placed on embroidered pillows on an old bed—evoking personal and collective memories of homes and rituals.

Much, much smaller than the main exhibition, the "Design Section" of Art Athina 2024 was nonetheless impressive, featuring a curated blend of vintage and contemporary works that emphasize how historical influences shape modern design, courtesy of curators Manthos Kaloumenos and Tina Daskalantonaki from Mare Studio. Showcasing the creative fusion of traditional Greek craftsmanship with innovative design, contemorary pieces that stood out included Belgian artist Nathalie Campion’s intricately detailed ceramic sculptures and bas-reliefs, and French designer Kalou Dubus’ monolithic chair and coffee table sculpted from green marble from Tinos, both artists part of TAXIDI TINOS’ showcase; and acclaimed Greek ceramist Manousos Chalkiadakis’ assertive, cone-shaped ceramic sculptures at Mare Studio’s booth. At the same booth, a special edition of Studio Valerie Name’s Naos Stoolsalso made an impression. A collaboration with Mare Studio, the limited-edition pieces are crafted from solid Greek mahogany, upholstered with fine, handwoven linen and adorned with a hand-made ceramic or metallic button, exemplifying how vintage aesthetics can be revitalised without sacrificing elite workmanship.

When it came to vintage designs, highlights included a 1970s Aldo Tura sideboard made from varnished goatskin and a helicoid staircase in polished cast aluminum by Roger Tallon from the 1960s, both at Temporary Showroom's booth. Over at Antiqua's showcase, standout pieces included Joe Colombo’s 1964 futuristic Elda Armchair, Archizoom Associati’s 1969 Mies Lounge Chair, and Lella & Massimo Vignelli’s 1983 Ambiguità Console.

Undoubtedly though, the Design Section’s focal point was Konstantin Kakanias’ monumental chandelier, “Dyslexia,” which dominated Stefanidou Tsoukala Gallery’s booth. The structure is composed of over a thousand unique pieces of coloured glass from the US and Mexico, all meticulously hand-cut in the Greek artist’s Los Angeles studio. These pieces take on various geometric and animal forms, with some reflecting the silhouette of the artist’s iconic fictional heroine, Mrs. Tependris. The chandelier's whimsical complexity showcased Kakanias' playful yet sophisticated artistry as well as encapsulated the section’s underlying theme—the creative synergies between art, design and craftsmanship. At the end of the day, it also served as a resounding testament to the fair's overarching theme of creativity, where artistic expression transcends mediums to illuminate the complexities of modern life.