Collages Inspired by a Lifetime of Travel: Apostolos Vafeas
By Cansu Peker
Apostolos Vafeas was born on the picturesque island of Kythnos, Greece. A passionate traveler, he spent over 35 years working in the tourism industry before retiring and turning his attention to collage art — an interest he had cherished alongside his career for many years. His travels around the world have deeply influenced his artistic practice, with each piece reflecting glimpses of the places, cultures, and moments that have stayed with him.
Apostolos first began creating collages the traditional way, cutting images from magazines and newspapers and stapling them together to form entirely new scenes. These early works sparked a love for the process that he continues to nurture today, now embracing digital tools to craft collages that are vibrant, layered, and uniquely his own.
Apostolos is drawn to the joy of combining different images and colors, working intuitively until the right composition comes together. For him, it’s the hands-on process of blending visual fragments into something new that feels both rewarding and deeply fulfilling.
We asked Apostolos about his art, creative process, and inspirations.
What inspires your collages? Are there any particular themes or subjects that you enjoy exploring through your art?
Everything that happened around me or something that impresses me on the internet can inspire me and start creating a collage.
What do you love most about working with collage?
This progress of combining different images and colors to achieve the result I want is the part that makes me happy and blessed.
You’ve spent over 35 years in the tourism industry — what are some places that left a lasting impression on you as an artist?
Many people before they start tourism, consider nature as powerful images, such as exotic beaches, endless green meadows, towering snow-capped mountains. However, the very powerful images that stayed in my mind and sparked my imagination are: the Valley of Kings in Egypt - where the desert landscape with its golden sand hides within it the grandeur of Pharaohs history, the walks in Kathmandu with the children selling their handicrafts among the city’s monuments and the earthly young Goddess who politely greeted me from her balcony, the statues of Hermes by Praxiteles in Olympia museum – a unique one and the only in the world that you think changes form if you look at it from different angles – on one side it looks like a a happy young man and the other like a thinking general, the unique tuk-tuk rides in Bangkok visiting temples and palaces and the river routes with a long tail boat, the candle lights night in Petra Gorge, Jordan, accompanied by the music of the shepherds high on the rocks.
All these memories and images along with the faces of people of all ages I have met from Brazil to Vietnam and from Russia to South Africa and USA… I am trying to include them in my creations.
Can you tell us about some of your favorite pieces or a past or upcoming project? What makes them special to you?
It is difficult for me and I feel weak to talk about something I have created. I prefer others to talk about my creations.
Once, a critic said: Shining Holes combines classical architectural elements with a modern, surreal aesthetic. The vibrant juxtaposition of deep red and golden hues against the stark black columns creates a dramatic and captivating visual narrative. The figure in the black gown adds a sense of mystery and elegance, drawing the viewer into an enigmatic, almost cinematic moment.
Shining Holes is thought-provoking and visually arresting.
What’s one unexpected lesson you’ve learned from moving into the digital art space after working with physical materials?
To find the digital materials that I use, it needs a lot of searching and takes a lot of time. For these reasons, my persistence and patience are now tireless elements.
What is a profound childhood memory?
A profound childhood memory has to do with recurring dreams with nightmares that eventually became creative visions.
What else fills your time when you’re not creating art?
Hanging out with friends, traveling, theater and a little writing – mostly poetry.
For the last 12 years, I am a co-founder of EMFASIS non profit, an organization with a primary focus on homeless and street work.
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