“What art does — maybe what it does most completely — is tell us, make us feel that what we think we know, we don’t. There are whole worlds around us that we’ve never glimpsed.” Greil Marcus — Thursday May 28th — —

The idea is to die young as late as possible. — Ashley Montagu — Thursday May 28th — —

I love listening. It is one of the only spaces where you can be still and moved at the same time. — Nayyirah Waheed — Thursday May 28th — —

Back to Nothing

Alexis Vasilikos is a very talented Athens-based photographer and the co-editor of Phases Magazine. His immaculate photographic eye explores the presence of the aesthetic in everyday life and is an intimate contemplation on the nature of emptiness. His images have a contemplative quality, they show the spectator the serendipities of life and the essence of signs. Through Vasilikos’ unique gaze, life seems to be more magical. One of his series which we discovered recently, named ‘Back to Nothing’ is no different. The incredible collection of photographs is the result of Vasilikos’ most recent travel to India. The photographer first visited the colorful country in 2004 in search for a spiritual teacher, which he found in Rishikesh, where he became familiar with a Guru named Mooji. Over the years that followed the photographer returned to India three times, proving to be highly inspirational experiences – both spiritually as artistically (although one could argue that this is somewhat intertwined). The incredible ‘Back to Nothing’ series – which clearly comes from a bright eye – is the result of Vasilikos’ most recent trip to India, earlier this year. 

I was looking for someone who could help me understand the fundamental nature of reality and myself. What gave me the push to go there is a mystery. Somehow I wasn’t satisfied with what I had known until that point of my life and I wanted to meet someone who had gone beyond.

Vasilikos on what the quest to India has given him:

In  2004 I attended my first ‘satsangs‘ – a so called association with the wise; being in the presence of someone who has realized the Self. I didn’t know what satsang meant and initially I didn’t understand anything at a conceptual level, but I was filled with so much joy and peace. Ι knew that I had found what I was looking for. I had the proof in front of my eyes that liberation is possible and not just possible but also accessible to all because it’s not apart from what we are, it is at the core of our being.

We love this tremendous series and hope for more beautiful work by Vasilikos from India.

Make sure to follow Alexis’ incredible blog on which he shares new work continuously here.

For other work by Alexis Vasilikos see here.