Iconography

Assumption / Church of Dormition of Holy Mary, Kypriadou
Broader/ Church of Saint Andrews, Ano Pathsia
Holy Trinity / Church of Dormition of Holy Mary, Kypriadou
Angels / From the Dome of the Church of Holy Trinity in Charleston  

WHO WE ARE

CV – Emmanuel Tzirtzilakis (Drapanias, 1940)

 
His natural talent in painting is demonstrated from his early days of childhood. Still a young boy, he paints Cretan landscapes and portraits of the people in his area.
 
At the age of 18, he follows lead of his uncle Stelios Kartakis and they work on the Church of Saint Minas in Iraklion of Crete. He studied painting at the French ABC School and relocated in Athens permanently at the age of 23. There, he studied under the guidance of the great teacher of Byzantine Hagiography, Fotis Kontoglou, and after his death he became part of the team of Kostas Georgakopoulos, Professor of Fresco and Portable Icons at the University of Fine Arts. Six years later, they embark on a professional collaboration and complete extensive projects in Athens, such as the Holy Temple of Saint Nicholas of Acharnai (a landmark monument), the Holy Trinity of Ampelokipoi andSaint Therapon in Zografou.
 
Come 1973, he chooses to go on his own artistic way and works in the Ionian Islands, completing hagiographies in the Holy Temple of Saint Spyridon, the Holy Temple of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel in Argostoli of Cephalonia, and in Saint Nicholas of the Foreigners and the Holy Chapel in Omala of Cephalonia. Four years later, he produced the murals for the Chapel of Saints Constantine and Helen in the Archbishop’s palace in Nissa, Yugoslavia, under current Archbishop of Serbia Eirinaios and for the VRBA in Kraljevo, in the Holy Temple of the Ascension of Christ.
 
He later returned to Athens to complete the murals for Saint Andrew of Ano Patissia, the Chapel of Saint Philothei inside the Archbishop’s palace, the Holy Temple of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary of Kypriadis in Athens, the Holy Temple of the Life-giving Spring in the National Institute of Invalids Rehabilitation and the Sacred Temple of our Mother Mary’s Assumption in Tavros.
 
In 1998, having been recommended by Kontoglou’s daughter, he began working on the Church of the Holy Trinity in South Carolina, USA, where Fotis Kontoglou himself along with his student John Terzis had initially worked on. He masterfully painted imagery on the dome of the temple, covering a staggering 4,500 square meters, thus causing the interest of the foreign press (detailed articles were issued in the Post and Courier newspaper along with an interview for Channel 4 and media coverage by NBC News. Following the completion of the project, the issue of Hellenic Society held a detailed account of the temple’s history and the contribution of Emanuel Tzirtzilakis’ family.
 
In November of 2001 he managed to restore a mural in the Temple of Saint Nicholas of Acharnai that had been damaged by fire. In 2006, he personally takes on the project of the Temple of Holy Unmercenaries in Plaka, Keratea. And he goes on, tireless and very creative. In March 2012 he begins the hagiography of a private Church at Leontari Arkadias and he has already accomplished part of it.
 
He has painted innumerable portable icons, not only for churches and holy temples (shrines and altars) but also for private collectors abroad and in Greece. Also worth mentioning, having his work demonstrated at Grand Palais in Paris through the French Artists Association (Société des Artistes Français) in 1981and 1982.
 
He was a founding member and vice president for eight consecutive years of the Pan-Hellenic Hagiographers Association and also a member of the Greek Chamber of Fine Arts. He managed to have hagiographers acknowledged and included in the Chamber of Fine Arts. In 1993, he was elected amongst other judges to enroll new members in the Chamber of Fine Arts and from 1994 to 1996 he was a member of the decoration committee of the Chamber of Fine Arts.
 
Last but not least, he took part in the formation of the Byzantine Sector of the Archaeological Museum of Iraklion in Crete and he also provided a detailed analysis and presentation of the works in the Holy Temple of our Mother Mary’s Assumption of Kypriadis in Athens that can be found in the parish issue related.
 
List of hagiographical works:
 
Crete (1958-1963)
Holy Temple of Saint Minas, Iraklion
Holy Temple of the Virgin Mary of the Cave, Chania
Holy Temple of Saint Nektarios, Chania
 
Attica (1963 - today)
Holy Temple of Saint Nicholas, Acharnai (landmark Monument) (collaboration with Georgakopoylos in 1971 and restoration in 2001)
Temple of the Holy Trinity, Ampelokipoi (collaboration with Georgakopoylos)
Holy Temple of Saint Therapon, Zografou (collaboration with Georgakopoylos)
Holy Temple of Saint Andrew, Ano Patissia
Chapel of Saint Philothei, inside the archbishop’s palace
Holy Temple of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary of Kypriadis
Holy Temple of the Life-giving Spring in the National Institute of Invalids Rehabilitation, Agioi Anarguroi
Holy Temple of our Mother Mary’s Assumption, Tavros
Temple of the Holy Unmercenaries, Plaka, Keratea (2006)
 
Cephalonia (1973-1977)
Holy Temple of Saint Spyridon
Holy Temple of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel (Temple of Brigadiers)
Holy Temple of Saint Nicholas of Foreigners
Holy abbey of Saint Gerasimos, Omala, Cephalonia.
 
Yugoslavia (1977-1981)
Chapel of Saint Constantine and Helen, in the archbishop’s palace, Nissa
Holy Temple of the Ascension of Christ in the VBRA, Kraljevo USA (1999-2004)
Temple of the Holy Trinity, South Carolina
 
The Peloponnese (2010)
Holy Temple of Saint George, Kakotari, Ilia
Holy Temple of Brigadiers and Konstantinou and Elenhs, Leontari, Arkadia