Greek photographer Patroklos Stellakis presents ESOSTREFIA, a solo exhibition of black-and-white analog photography at iFocus Gallery in Athens, exploring introspection, memory and the expressive freedom of photography beyond technical perfection.
ESOSTREFIA, a solo photography exhibition by Greek photographer Patroklos Stellakis, opens at iFocus Gallery in Athens on Saturday, 21 November 2026, at 18:30 and runs through 25 November, presenting a selection of black-and-white analog photographs from a personal project developed over approximately a decade.
Drawing on his extensive experience in editorial, commercial, and artistic photography, Patroklos Stellakis presents a body of work that departs from the technical precision and predetermined requirements of professional assignments. ESOSTREFIA emerged from his desire to rediscover photography as an independent form of artistic expression, free from commercial expectations and established conventions.
The exhibition takes its name from the Greek word for introversion, reflecting the photographs ‘deeply personal character. What began as a series of spontaneous images gradually became a cohesive visual narrative, revealing connections among the photographer’s observations, memories, and emotional experiences.
An Exploration of B&W Photography
For ESOSTREFIA, Patroklos Stellakis returned to analog film and deliberately chose a simple plastic camera with a basic, high-contrast lens. Working with limited technical capabilities, he embraced the unpredictable characteristics of the medium, allowing elements such as soft focus, pronounced contrast, vignetting, and accidental exposures to contribute to the visual identity of the photographs.
Rather than treating imperfection as an aesthetic formula, his approach emphasizes each image’s content and emotional significance. The resulting photographs challenge conventional expectations of photographic precision while preserving the spontaneity and authenticity of the original moment.
The project also reflects the photographer’s longstanding interest in how the external world shapes personal perception. Although the photographs capture subjects encountered in everyday life, their selection and composition reveal a more introspective perspective. Through ESOSTREFIA, Stellakis explores photography as indirect self-portraiture, communicating his presence through his unique way of observing and interpreting the world.
Photography, Authenticity and the Human Experience
Presented at a time when artificial intelligence is transforming contemporary image production, ESOSTREFIA brings renewed attention to the physical and human dimensions of photographic creation. All photographs in the exhibition were created using analog photographic processes, without artificial intelligence or AI-assisted image processing.
For Stellakis, this choice relates to the project’s nature rather than a rejection of technological development. Having worked extensively with both analog and digital photography, he considers each medium a valuable creative tool with different expressive possibilities.
In ESOSTREFIA, the analog process, including the interval between exposure and development, plays an important role in how the images are experienced, selected and interpreted. The exhibition gives visitors an opportunity to engage with photographs created through direct observation, personal experience, and the unpredictable interaction between light, film, and the photographer.
About Patroklos Stellakis
Patroklos Stellakis is a Greek photographer with a distinguished career spanning several decades in editorial, press, commercial and artistic photography. He worked for 20 years with the Greek newspaper Eleftherotypia and on assignments for magazines and other publications.
His artistic work includes the photographic books Αδέσποτοι Δρόμοι (Adespotoi Dromoi) and Άσε μου τη σιωπή σου (Ase Mou Ti Siopi Sou), as well as participation in group photography exhibitions. Beyond his photographic practice, Stellakis is an internationally recognized collector of photographic cameras, with extensive knowledge of the medium’s history and technological evolution.
ESOSTREFIA Exhibition Details
Exhibition: ESOSTREFIA
Artist: Patroklos Stellakis
Exhibition Curator: Dora Lavazou
Art Form: Black-and-White Analog Photography
Opening Night: Saturday, 21 November 2026
Opening Reception: 18:30
Exhibition Dates: 21–25 November 2026
Venue: iFocus Photo Gallery
Address: 57 Akadimias & 13 Ippokratous Street, Athens, Greece
Gallery Website: www.ifocus.gr
The exhibition is open to photography enthusiasts, art collectors, artists and members of the public interested in contemporary photographic expression.
ESOSTREFIA invites visitors to discover a personal collection of images where observation, memory, and artistic freedom come together through the enduring language of black-and-white photography.
