"Σ' αγαπώ πολύ - S' agapó polý - I love you so much." | reductive linocut | 14x20 | 2026
my final for my intro to printmaking class!
artist statement:
I was inspired to make this piece because in my Global Women’s Literature class my professor described English as, “the language of power.” I thought about all the times I had questioned why my father didn’t teach me his native language, Greek. I don’t think he wanted me to know it because it made him different growing up. My grandparents are Greek immigrants and I think he associated Greece with the way his parents treated him, and in his mind by not teaching me the language, he wouldn’t teach me the ideas imbued in him. However, for me this is very frustrating. People ask me, “what are you?” when they see I’m slightly tanned, hairy, and have dark hair or once they learn my last name. A part of me feels guilty for saying I’m Greek because it doesn’t feel true. I’ve never been to the country, don’t know the language, can’t eat a lot of the food because of dietary restrictions, and I’m disconnected from the culture except for when I visit my yiayia (grandma) and pappou (grandfather.)
The text of this piece reads “Your mother tongue is foreign from my mouth,” with a photo of me kissing my father as a small child, at the time when teaching me Greek would have been easiest. Behind the text are the Greek and American flags respectively, which inspired the color scheme for this piece. I tried to keep his figure mostly blue and white, whereas I am a combination of all colors used, symbolizing my American-ness. The background behind my father is the pattern on a dish my grandparents gifted him that they bought while visiting Greece, with large evil eyes. The background behind me is a mixture of the river system in Virginia, where I am from, and Greece, where my ancestors are from. However, the rivers can also be seen as veins, showcasing how I am only truly Greek on the technicality of my family. I have 13 prints, one for each of the letters of my last name. I chose to do reductive linocut to explore more with this medium. I wanted to make something large, which is why I bought a 12x18 block.