Bio
The man behind the camera.
From Athens to London
Giannis Psilakis was born and raised in Athens and was the son of Dimitris Psilakis, a doctor, and Eleftheria (Tithis) Petralia. After completing his academic studies, he moved to London, where he studied World History. There, he had his first contact with the art of photography, as he chose it among other courses and since then it has become the medium for «visualizing» and recording his knowledge and experiences.
At the edge of the world
His professional involvement with photography began in 1997, focusing on folklore and travel themes, with a particular emphasis on documenting the last remaining indigenous tribes around the world. His travels took him to various remote regions, including the islands of Indonesia, the highlands of Papua New Guinea and Pakistan, the interior of India and Kashmir, Ethiopia, Tunisia, and the Andes in Bolivia and Chile.
During these journeys, he met and photographed tribes such as the Mentawai on Siberut Island in the Indian Ocean, the Huli in the mountains of Papua New Guinea, the Kalash in the Karakoram range, the Hunzakut in the Indian Caucasus, and the Mapuche and Aymara peoples in the Amazon and Andes of Latin America.
His deep interest in these little known cultures led him to study them thoroughly and document their way of life through his lens, driven by a singular goal: to raise awareness in the Western world and promote global understanding through the recognition of both the diversity and the shared humanity among peoples.
His love for Grecce
Yannis also had a deep love for his homeland, Greece. Through his camera, he captured its people, landscapes, traditions, and customs – the purity and beauty of its small villages and remote regions, the blue skies, lush greenery, whitewashed churches, and the crystal-clear waters of the Aegean and Ionian Seas.
A significant portion of his work has been showcased in exhibitions both in Greece and abroad. His photographs and articles have been published in numerous Greek and international magazines.
Nikon Photo Contest · 2000
In 2000, a photograph by Yannis Psilakis of Chile and Lake Chungara was selected and awarded by NIKON in its International competition, Nikon Photo Contest International. This competition is one of the largest photographic events in the world, with more than 25,000 entries from fifty countries.
The photographs of the year 2000 were selected by Tsuneo Enari (photographer) and Akira Sato (photographer), while the calendar design was overseen by Yutaka Mizukami (graphic designer). The award-winning photograph by Yannis Psilakis appears in the month of December of the calendar.
“Lalibela” Association
Yannis was a founding member of the Ethiopian Children's Aid Association "Lalibela". The association was founded in 1995 with the aim of providing practical support to people and especially to the children of Ethiopia, by providing material and educational assistance. It is a non-profit association, which in collaboration with the Orthodox Archdiocese of Ethiopia has undertaken the financial and moral adoption and housing of the children of Kombolcha, who were orphaned by the epidemics and famine that struck Ethiopia in recent years.
With a personal donation from Yiannis' mother and sister, a drilling project was carried out in his memory in the Kombolcha region of Ethiopia, where one of the Association's schools and centers is located, which hosts hundreds of children. The project was inaugurated in November 2006.
Children's Aid Society – Lalibela →
