Folk art

The eponymous folk artistic creation descends from the anonymous collective cultural heritage of Crete. Several Cretan people, without formal art – training, but inspired by their daily life experiences and occupations, recall in their artistic works the pas as well as render their own perception of the future.

The Sifakis brothers carve the monumental Cretan figure; the baker Maria Spanoudaki molds with her feminine deftness and imagination daily agricultural images, and the café owner Alkiviadis Scoulas depicts the family relations in his village Anogia.

The shepherd Yiorgos Kapsalis is overwhelmed with the infinite stillness and inner tension of loneliness upon the mountains and the ironsmith Manolis Perrakis creates distinct forms to cover his contrasting views of the real word.

The botanist Stelios Simantirakis glorifies the harmony and elegance on Nature; the doctor Kostis Psarakis gives life to mortal, wasted materials of the consumer society and the Lychnostatis’ founder (8) outlines the bleak future of Man and Nature with the illusory colours of a “Rainbow, omen of destruction”, made of plastic.

This permanent art-exhibition as well as the museum itself reflects the close ties of folk tradition with the natural environment of Crete and illustrates how people of traditional societies managed to follow consciously the deep roots of Nature.