"Olympian Archetypes," is a visual exploration of the essence of the twelve main gods of the Greek pantheon. The final work will feature 12 still-life portraits, each capturing a deity's identity through the symbolic objects associated with them.

While the myths of the Greek gods are widely known, it is their symbols —their divine attributes— that truly reveal their nature. These objects embody the gods' sphere of influence and serve as crucial markers identifying them in the arts.

Throughout history, objects have been used by mankind to exemplify aspects of the world around. These symbols identify universal archetypes, bridging cultures across time and space, and revealing the deep connections that unite us all.

An Example

Let’s have a look at the Athenian amphora with black figures depicted in Fig. 1.

We can see 7 figures on it. At first glance we notice, from the long dresses, that 2 of them are females. The central figure bears a big shield with an emblem of the gorgon Medusa, a crested-helm and a spear (the dog is biting on it). This identifies her as the goddess Athena.

On the left side beside her (Fig. 2) we have a male figure with a hat (petasos hat), a mantle, distinctive shoes (the other figures are barefooted) and a staff with what seems a horned-figure at the top. The garments identify this figure as a traveller and the staff gives him his name, Hermes (the horned figure on top are two intertwined snakes). The Female figure to the left of Hermes doesn't bear special attributes but she is veiled rather than armed. Next to her we see a mature male figure with beard and a funny squiggly thing on his hand, the thunderbolt. This figure is Zeus and the lady beside him is his wife Hera.

Can you do the same exercise with the figures to the right of Athena (Fig. 3)? Don't beat yourself up about the last male figure, Iolaus, I had to look him up as well.

The attributes associated with each god vary greatly: some, like Zeus and Poseidon, have just one object, while others, like Hermes and Athena, are represented with a whole array of symbols, as seen on our vase.

Artistic representations don't necessarily exhaust the catalogue of a god attributes. For instance, the Homeric hymn to Hermes credits him with inventing both meat sacrifices to the gods and the first lyre, crafted from a turtle shell. In addition, Hermes’ role as the overseer of commerce and communication links him to items such as coins and writing implements.

Through extensive bibliographic research started in 2020, I’ve gathered so far nearly 100 objects to associate with the twelve Olympians — Zeus, Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Athena, Hephaestus, Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, and Dionysus.

By the end of 2023 I had designed approximately 40 of these objects with exception of the pottery, jewellery and textile pieces. In 2024, I began creating these objects, starting with components for Hermes’ Lyre and Dionysus’ theatrical masks.
Follow my updates on Instagram. Check some of the designed objects here.