Ilektra Stefanatou
Hestia
In the series Hestia, named after the Greek goddess of domesticity, I explored the idea of home. For many people home is associated with a warm and inviting feeling, while for others it is a desirable yet untouchable dream. The depicted domestic architecture also unravels the idea of hospitality, a concept interwoven with Greek cultural identity since antiquity. Still very prominent in the Greek lifestyle, hospitality is expressed through the generosity and kindness shown to the guest by the host. I captured the interiors of two distinct mansions that were built in the 18th century in Siatista, a town located in the northern part of Greece. During this period Greece was under Turkish occupation that led to a redistribution of populations. Despite the subjugation, in the 18th and 19th centuries Siatista experienced remarkable growth on an economical and cultural level through international commerce and transactions. The owners of the mansions, who were merchants, would travel abroad and settle there for a long period of time as they engaged with trade and business. As migration is also an aspect of modern societies, the idea of home is becoming more and more vague. Quite often, the house you live in is not necessarily what you call home.
Dilara Arisoy • Mia Cuk • Nhung Dang • Frida Edlund • Luba Kozorezova • Katerina Kremasioti • Helen Marshall • Roy Milani • Katarina Mudronova • Sharon Mutch • Paul Newman • Simon Olmetti • Beatriz Perez • Ochi Reyes • Nasreen Shaikh Jamal Al-Lail • Ilektra Stefanatou • Katie Stretton • Jayne Taylor • Sarah Tubbs • Dafydd Williams •
University of Brighton
MA Photography
Central Saint Martins
MA Photography
Central Saint Martins
MA Fine Art
London College of Communication
MA Photography
London College of Communication
MA Photojournalism & Documentary Photography
University of Wales, Newport
MA/MFA Documentary Photography
University of Sunderland
MA Photography
University of Ulster
MFA Photography