With the winner and finalists for The Greek Herald‘s 2024 Christmas Cover Competition selected and officially announced, I finally had a chance to sit back and reflect on one special entry which stuck with me.
11-year-old Helene Kalimniou’s artwork wasn’t selected as a finalist as it was outside of the competition’s stated themes of ‘Christmas in Greece’ or a ‘Greek Christmas.’
Instead, Helene’s artwork, titled ‘Christmas in the Middle East,’ shows a young girl standing amid the ruins of her war-torn neighbourhood with tears on her face as she draws a happier Christmas she would love to experience.
Upon closer inspection, and given the recent upheaval in the Middle East, it was clear that Helene’s artwork had a deeper more powerful meaning, and one I wanted to hear more about.
So, with the help of her dad – lawyer and author Dean Kalymniou – I tracked her down.
Tell us a little bit about the artwork you created for The Greek Herald’s Christmas Cover competition 2024.
My artwork depicts a scene from the war-torn Middle East at Christmas. The world as many children know it, has perished. Children have suffered a loss of their homes, their loved ones and the carefree life that we take for granted.
In the middle of the ruins of her neighbourhood, a young girl is shown imagining the Christmas she would love to have, and drawing it, as tears fall down her face. I have portrayed reality in colour and her dream of an ideal Christmas in black and white. Her dream is more of a sketch than a drawing because she has never really experienced a happy Christmas and doesn’t really know what it looks like. Because it is fuzzy, it asks you to consider whether the Christmas we all take for granted is real or an illusion. Finally, a white dove flies above the ruins. This symbolises hope. Even though people may be surrounded by disaster, there is always hope for peace and a better world.
Your artwork depicts ‘Christmas in the Middle East.’ Why did you decide to focus on this topic?
Christmas is a very special time for me and my family. We decorate the house, sing kalanta (Christmas carols), go to church and are filled with joy every year. Children everywhere around the world deserve to celebrate special days in peace and safety. However, in the Middle East, children will not experience the delight of Christmas. Many will be fearful, others in mourning and devastated. This is terrible and we should always remember vulnerable people at Christmas time, especially in the Middle East where the first Christmas took place.
I am aware that thousands of refugees from these areas are living in Greece. I think that they will spend Christmas remembering what they have lost. These memories don’t go away. They stay with you forever. That is how this picture links in with Greece: the refugees in Greece carry their own meanings and childhood memories. When we celebrate, we should remember them because what they have seen they will carry with them their entire lives. Their story is now part of the Greek story of Christmas.
As a young girl, how have you become so aware of recent wars in the Middle East?
Recently, through the media, we have been bombarded with news reports about the atrocities of the war happening in the Middle East. Through discussions with my family, it was like history repeating itself as my mother went through exactly the same ordeal during the Iraq War as a child. She lost everything, had to leave her homeland and ended up as a refugee in Greece. She always tells me that the first place she truly felt free was Greece. I still have relatives in the Middle East and I visited the area two years ago. I can’t believe that after so much suffering, wars are continuing.
What message were you hoping to give through your artwork?
The leaders of the world should consider the devastation they are causing to children’s lives through their decisions. In countries like Australia which are far from wars, it is easy to forget about the condition of the rest of the world. The true meaning of Christmas is about sharing love. Love is the most powerful force in the world. It brings hope and it brings peace. We all can do more to spread love in the world and help those who need our help.
This Christmas, is there a message you want to send to children like yourself who are currently in the middle of conflict in the Middle East?
I want to send the message that we love them and will pray for them. I want to tell them that miracles do happen. Please stay strong and never give up. There is always hope for a better future.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Thank you to The Greek Herald for giving me the opportunity to participate in the competition and Xronia Polla to everyone!
