Chania summers in Vafe, at the house of aunt Katina and uncle Sifakis. Every evening, returning home from the cafe, uncle Sifakis, with his strongly emphasised wrinkles at the corners of his eyes brought the trophy. A Turkish delight! "Come Antonios, eat, I won it in backgammon"! He always won at backgammon, taking home the trophy which was always a Turkish delight.
Cafes and patisseries are meeting places for a coffee, a dessert, a meze and a raki. Places to inform the community, reminisce about the past, exchange positions and views, hangout and read the newspaper. In Greece cafe tradition still remains alive and necessary and resisting the ‘social networks’ of modern times. The faint coffee coming out of the embers, the smell of roasted chestnuts on the stove. Wandering around the Greek countryside and Athens where I live, I photograph what has an authenticity, is unadulterated and retains the unique atmosphere of a previous era.
Antonis Giakoumakis was born in Chania, Crete but now lives in Chalandri, Attica. He has been photographing since 2012 and has since participated in numerous group exhibitions and competitions. He is also an active member of the photography group PHOTOPIA. With his photography he aims to create stories, but is also interested in creating an atmosphere which may urge the viewer to create their own narratives.