The first works in the series "Oyster Eaters" were created by D. Fragakis between 2019 and 2021, with a great deal of humor and self-mockery towards humanity and its weaknesses. The imaginative narratives appearing within the painted textures of the works focus mainly on the systematic consumption and overconsumption of oysters, presenting it as a unique, unparalleled, and often intensely traumatic experience.
According to the ancient Aristotelian theory of the Four Humors, human health depends on the balance of the four basic fluids in the body: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Black bile is associated with melancholy and sadness in ancient medicine and philosophy and is formally identified with the oyster in the story of the Oyster Eaters, as it is used as an instrument to excrete fluids affecting the mind and body.
In the series, oysters are often depicted being consumed in their whole form or transformed: in solid, liquid, and even gaseous forms. It is implied that they were ingested in a familiar or somewhat divine manner, commenting on the multiple and unpredictable extensions of modern life. For Dimitris Fragakis, the oyster is a powerful symbol of sensitivity and simultaneously asceticism, with its almond-shaped hard shell, its 'velvety' interior, and its isolated rocky life confirming its meaning.
"I have never stopped believing that anyone who eats oysters, sooner or later, will confront their personal demons, traversing through their most terrifying visions."
The story of the Oyster Eaters projects a state of humanity that is untouched by social and environmental events and free from the influence of time and space. With this interpretation, the Oyster Eaters represent a way of thinking or an existential state that is free from the stress and anxiety of life. There, the mind is at peace, while the body experiences the ultimate nonexistence. In any case, consuming oysters promises to be the 'pill' you need to reach where you cannot, where you will overcome the fear of real life, now guided towards the gates of personal happiness.
"There are people who eat oysters raw and alive, shocking them with fresh lemon juice, thus confirming their vitality. I know some of them personally."
Dimitris Fragakis
Artist
Dimitris Fragakis was born in Thessaloniki in 1982. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the Kavala TEI and later at the School of Fine Arts at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
He has presented his work in four solo exhibitions and has participated in numerous group exhibitions.
His works have been exhibited at venues such as:
MOmus State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki / Zappeion Hall, Athens / Film Festival, Thessaloniki / Frissiras Museum, Athens / MOmus Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki / Action Field Kodra, Thessaloniki / Teloglion Foundation of Arts, Thessaloniki / Isaia Mansion, Athens / MOmus Experimental Art Center, Thessaloniki / Theocharakis Foundation for the Arts, Athens / Kalfayan Gallery, Athens-Thessaloniki / Depo Darm Gallery, Athens / Crux Gallery, Athens / Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Athens / Kyan Project Space, Athens / Space 52, Athens / Apodec, Thessaloniki, and more.
