Some Stationary And An Envelope I Made When I Was 23 That I Took Out To Write My Cousin A Letter.

Some stationary and an envelope I made when I was 23 that I took out to write my cousin a letter.

Though I prefer the first photograph, I never felt quite right about the text placement, so I created a second version. This one reads stronger to me and is more similar visually to the version I made for Tokyo in the spring.

Zachary Trebellas. Ποιος θα μπορούσε να είμαι στη Θεσσαλονίκη; (Who could I be in Thessaloniki?). Text on 35mm photograph. 2015. In August I spent three weeks in Europe with my friend Shareen and my twin brother Miles. Ten of those days we spent traveling around Greece. As Greek-Americans, he and I were very curious to see the country we’d related to in various ways for our entire lives. As I expected, it was full of foreign and new experiences, but some familiar ones as well. I was happy to be able to see so much of the country and finally experience it first hand. At the same time, I knew ten days would be only a taste of Greek life. Like I did with Japan, I long to spend more time in Greece to get to know it as a place and culture, and to build my own Greek experiences and memories. I wonder when, down the road, I’ll be able to make that happen. Thessaloniki, Greece’s artistic capital and second city, is where I’d want to have that experience. I hope in the future I’m able to.

—— This piece is part of the series I’m working on, Nippo Greco American, exploring my relationship with the three ethnic groups I in some way identify with.

Zachary Trebellas. Ποιος θα μπορούσε να είμαι στη Θεσσαλονίκη; (Who could I be in Thessaloniki?). Text on 35mm photograph. 2015. In August I spent three weeks in Europe with my friend Shareen and my twin brother Miles. Ten of those days we spent traveling around Greece. As Greek-Americans, he and I were very curious to see the country we’d related to in various ways for our entire lives. As I expected, it was full of foreign and new experiences, but some familiar ones as well. I was happy to be able to see so much of the country and finally experience it first hand. At the same time, I knew ten days would be only a taste of Greek life. Like I did with Japan, I long to spend more time in Greece to get to know it as a place and culture, and to build my own Greek experiences and memories. I wonder when, down the road, I’ll be able to make that happen. Thessaloniki, Greece’s artistic capital and second city, is where I’d want to have that experience. I hope in the future I’m able to.

—— This piece is part of the series I’m working on, Nippo Greco American, exploring my relationship with the three ethnic groups I in some way identify with.

Top two photos: July, 2014. 35mm. Shimabara and Amakusa, Japan.

I do miss Japanese life and the beauty of Amakusa/Kyushu a lot lately, but with each good experience in Grand Rapids, I'm reminded of the reasons I moved back. Last night I joined the Avenue for the Arts (GR's art district) advisory committee and on Friday I'm going to my second meeting for their spring art festival planning committee. They've lined up so many spaces for exhibitions this year, anyone who wants to curate one can. That never would've happened in Chicago, though, come to think of it, the Amakusa pop-up art festival last year had similar opportunities. 

Beyond that, I'm starting docent training soon for the contemporary art museum's new exhibition and will probably be signing up for a new artist-focused business course in the spring. None of these resources existed in Amakusa. Even in Nagasaki and Kumamoto, the biggest cities near me (2.5+ hours away) the art scenes were very weak. 

I just hope I can go to some of the Michigan dunes soon to get my nature fix. Everyone's stories and photos make them seem incredible.

A Greek Record Store franchise bearing my Greek name, Ζαχαρίας (Zacharias). Athens. August, 2015.

Zachary Trebellas. Summer/Natsu, study. Scanogram. 2015.

This is a study for one of the pieces I have planned focusing on the Japanese habits that have replaced my American ones. With this one I wanted to focus on the Japanese custom of wrapping a damp towel around one’s neck in the summer to keep cool. It is so tricky to get the composition right when scanning yourself, though. I’ve done other shots where I simulate sweat by spritzing the scan bed with water. It works sometimes, but it’s a lot of trial and error. I guess I just have to keep at it. —— This is part of the series I’m working on, Nippo Greco American, exploring my relationship with the three ethnic groups I in some way identify with.