Evzones on 5th Avenue
Consulate of Greece in New York
March -May 2023
In March of 2023, Christiana Vasilas was invited to showcase her work at the official Greek Independence Day reception at the Consulate in New York. Her unique perspective on photographing the Evzones—capturing not only their presence but also the profound symbolism embodied in their service—resonated deeply with both dignitaries and the Evzones themselves as they witnessed her work during the parade weekend. Moved by her distinctive vision, she received her first invitation to Athens to photo-document the Evzones on Oxi Day as they carried out their official duties following the success of the exhibition.
The Exhibit
Christiana Vasilas was first inspired to focus her lens on the Evzones before the 2022 Greek Independence Day Parade. After the global Greek community was unable to celebrate the 200th anniversary of independence from the Ottoman Empire in 2021 due to the pandemic, the return of the parade marked a moment of unity and pride. The Greek-American community gathered in full force, and the Evzones—living embodiments of freedom—marched along Fifth Avenue as symbols linking past to present.
From this moment, The Modern Evzones – Guardians of Tradition collection was born, with its first itiration - Evzones on 5th! Through her work, Christiana honors the legacy of the Presidential Guard while inspiring pride in Hellenes and Philhellenes worldwide, paying tribute to their role as both national heroes and enduring symbols of Hellenic tradition.
This exhibition is dedicated to Christiana's father, Chris Vasilas, who suddenly passed away at the end of February 2023.Chris was a proud Greek-American, amateur photographer, who encouraged Christiana to always have her camera in hand, and to see beyond the frame. Over the years, Chris and Christiana attended photography classes, continuing to perfect their "eye", and would explore the natural world together putting their lessons into practice. The news of this exhibition was the last family celebration the Vasilas Family enjoyed together before his passing. The "Evzones on Fifth" collection was one of his favorites.
OPENING NIGHT - 23 March 2023
Among those present on opening night were members of the Greek-American diaspora, Permanent Representative of Greece to the UN Ambassador Evangelos C. Sekeris, representatives of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America including His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios formerly of America, Paulette Poulos, members of AHEPA, Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce, Hellenic Professional Women, Hellenic Lawyers Society, and Greek singer-songwriter Kostis Maraveyas (also known as Maraveyas) with his wife, actress Tonia Sotiropoulou.
