Norman Hyams returns to Patmos through his work

The British artist’s first international exhibition of paintings since his death is being hosted at the Stavrakas Mansion as a visual tribute to the island he loved.

This summer, Patmos becomes a meeting place for art, memory and landscape, hosting the exhibition ‘PNEVMA’ by the British painter Norman Hyams (1966–2024). The exhibition, organised by the Hannah Barry Gallery in collaboration with The Patmos Trust, opens on 12 August at the Stavrakas House in Chora and will run until 24 August, open daily from 19:00 to 22:00.

This is the first international exhibition of Hyams’s paintings since his death and follows on from the retrospective exhibition No Rush in London. The artist, who lived and worked in London, became known for his deeply personal and poetic visual language. He drew inspiration from memories, photographs and everyday images, creating works that oscillate between memory, dream and observation, in a process he himself described as ‘learning to see’.

His connection with Patmos was a deep and enduring one. He visited the island every year with his family, ceaselessly capturing the light, the sea and the silences of the place. The paintings in the exhibition depict the Dodecanese and the Aegean landscape, whilst several are being shown to the public for the first time. Painted on unusual materials, such as paint palettes, fruit crates and sponges, they straddle the line between painting and object, reflecting the roughness and vitality of the natural landscape.

The title ‘PNEUMATON’, chosen by his wife Sacha, refers to the ancient Greek concept of the life-giving breath. It is not merely the title of an exhibition, but also a moving reminder of Norman Hyams’s deep connection with Patmos – a place that was for him a source of inspiration, contemplation and creativity.