Virginia Axioti is the last person hand painting movie posters in Greece

·

Greek artist, Virginia Axioti, is the last person hand-painting movie posters in Greece. She does much of her work in a tiny art studio which occupies a corner of her Athens apartment.

For the past five years she’s been the main artist at the Athinaion Cinema, which opened in Athens in 1960 and remains one of the oldest cinemas in the city, located in the central neighbourhood of Ambelokipi.

“Presently, the only movie theatre with hand painted billboards is the Athinaion in Athens,” Axioti says in a video for Great Big Story. “My first billboard was for the movie Mad Max and recently I did Sully with Tom Hanks, which I really enjoyed.”

Painting the posters is a time-consuming process. First, Axioti, who doesn’t have time to watch all the movies she’s hired to advertise, will watch trailers to get a sense of the film’s mood. She takes some creative liberties in her sketches, but usually relies heavily on the official poster. Then, using an opaque projector, she projects her drawing onto two huge pieces of paper and begins to mix her colors.

“It takes, on average, about three to four days of continued work to paint a billboard. Fortunately, I use a projector that helps with detailed work and means it takes less time,” Axiotis says.

Because of the size of the painting, Axioti constantly takes a few steps back, squinting at her work to make sure everything is properly scaled and making any necessary adjustments along the way.

One of the hand painted posters done by Virginia Axioti.

The final result?

“It’s more intimate, it’s more personal. Each person will see it in a different way. It’s not the same as a [printed] poster. A painting is the hand gesture, the brushstroke, the movement,” Axioti said. “That’s the difference between the photo and the painting.”

“When people pass outside our cinema and see the posters, it’s more human. It’s more intimate. It’s sweeter.”

With such a clear passion, it’s clear that Axioti has no plan to give up the traditional art form any time soon.

Cretan Convention - Web Banner

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Late Pontian Eagles President Terry Kalaitsidis remembered as a pillar of SA football

South Australian football is mourning the loss of Terry Kalaitsidis, the long-serving Pontian Eagles president, who died on October 5.

Athens marks 81 years since liberation from German occupation

Greece commemorated the 81st anniversary of Athens’ liberation from German occupation with a ceremony held on the Acropolis.

Greek gang figure Michael ‘Greken’ Tenezos arrested after Europol operation

Michael Tenezos, a 27-year-old Greek national known to Swedish authorities as “Greken” (The Greek), has been arrested in Mexico.

Trump invites Greece and Cyprus to join Gaza peace summit in Egypt

US President Donald Trump has invited Greece and Cyprus to participate in a high-level Gaza peace summit to be held on Monday, October 13.

History reborn: South Melbourne and Sydney Olympic kick off Australian Championship

South Melbourne and Sydney Olympic launch the inaugural Australian Championship at Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne.

You May Also Like

EU slams Turkey for Greek airspace violations and threats in new report

The EU's annual enlargement report criticised Turkey over its continuous violation of Greek airspace and threats to Greece's sovereignty.

City of Melbourne acknowledges Antipodes Festival as a Tier 1 event

The 36th Antipodes Festival, organised by the Greek Community of Melbourne, resonated with the vibrant pulse of the Greek community.

Pontian Association in Melbourne celebrates 10-year anniversary

On Saturday 12 November, Akrites tou Pontou and friends gathered at to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Melbourne's Pontian association.