The graphic novel Yannoulis Chalepas. The legend of modern Greek sculpture (a popular and highly-acclaimed duo of Greek comic artists, has been praised by critics as a masterpiece and one of the most important graphic novels ever published in Greece. A stylish, hardback edition of an exquisite black & white sketch with shades of grey, it depicts the tortured life and tragic fate of the most notable figure of modern Greek sculpture and one of the most influential artists abroad, Yannoulis Chalepas (1851 – 1938), whose genius and artistic creativity was marred by the steady decline of his health and his mental illness. Divided in three chapters (“Hope”, “Abyss”, “Resurrection”), the graphic novel follows the turbulent life of Chalepas from the island of Tinos where the artist was born, to Athens and Munich, where he studied at the Fine Arts Academy, to Corfu and his commitment at the Psychiatric Asylum from 1888 to 1902, till the years after his release and his death. At the same time, it offers an accurate and captivating insight at the different phases of the artist’s work, exploring the fine line between creativity and insanity. The edition includes enlightening archival material as well.
Dimitris Vanellis was born in the island of Lesvos in 1959. Since 1976 he lives in Athens and works at the library of Athens School of Fine Arts. He writes scenarios for comic books and has collaborated with distinguished Greek comic artists. From 2003 he has an almost exclusive collaboration with Thanasis Petrou. His work also includes fantasy short story collections and fantasy novellas.
Patakis, 2019, 17×24 • 176 pages
