NEW YORK – The icon painter Maria Aporelli will participate in an international art competition in New York July 29-August 4 with her work, ‘Elder Joseph of Vatopedi.’

She spoke with The National Herald from Kalymnos where she lives and works, expressing her special joy and pride in participating in this very important competition and invited the Greek-American community to attend and honor her with their presence.

Aporelli said: “The digital format of my work will be presented at the exhibition which will be running at 23 Warren Street, Street-level- Gallery 1. The first 25 to be recognized will be published in the newspaper ‘la Repubblica’ and will enter the ‘Top Choice’ group, a very important network of art professionals with many unique privileges.”

When asked why she chose the art of hagiography, she told TNH: “Hagiography has always been in my life as my father is a priest and hagiographer, his experiential stories he told me about the monasteries, Mount Athos, the elders and the saints were imprinted on my soul and played an important role in my artistic path.”

“I took my first steps in hagiography at the age of 17, when I studied in the workshop of the renowned hagiographer Nikolaos Kagkaras, and I have been professionally engaged in the art of hagiography for the last six years,” Aporelli continued. “I have created hundreds of works, murals, and smaller, portable icons. My goal is definitely personal development as an artist and as a person and my dream is to hold exhibitions all over the world in order to leave the mark of Orthodox art and Hellenism in every corner of the earth.”

“Through this process I want to convey to the world the greatness of this sacred art, to meet the saints of our days, to inspire them and through creativity let us all come closer to God and to prayer,” she said. “Hagiography is an art that should not be lost as it contains the Greek DNA and at the same time fills the souls of the people.”

“I have taken part in international art exhibitions in Athens, Brussels, and Italy,” Aporelli noted. “I participated in exhibitions in Kalymnos, Rhodes, and Patmos with the artistic group ‘Kalymnos Hagiographers’ and was awarded 3rd place in a pan-Hellenic painting competition. My works are in private collections all over Greece and abroad.”

Regarding what advice she would give to young people interested in engaging in the art of hagiography, she said: “Hagiography is an art that has its own visual philosophy. It is one of the most unique arts and should not be missed. I hope that young people will get involved in order to discover all its beauties, all the emotions it gives you. The challenge, the excitement, joy, fervor, satisfaction. It is a long journey with joys and sorrows that are worth discovering to give new, innovative ideas and to always develop, with respect to our tradition, the art of iconography. But above all, their soul will be filled, they will feel fulfilled that with time all this greatness of art will become a way of life.”

Aporelli was born in Kos in 1997 and lives permanently in Kalymnos. She has created two online stores where there are collections of icons, copies of the original creations and hand-made icons.

The Greek online store: www.aporelliartworks.com and the international online store: iconographygreece.etsy.com.