Iconographers from Greece are painting in the Byzantine style at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Carmel, India, creating one of the largest pieces of art in the state. d
On a canvas of white plaster, George Kordis, an iconographer from Athens, along with his team of six assistants are rendering a work that will reach from the floor to the ceiling, Indystar reported.
Stepping into the church and looking up reveals a domed ceiling painted in muted pastels. Kordis, an Orthodox Christian who learned the basics of Byzantium iconography from a monk, finds his inspiration from being inside the church, drawing the shapes by hand.
Constantine “Dean” Maniakas, the first chanter at Holy Trinity, has watched Kordis work and said the shapes and the colors almost grow organically. For Kordis the work is not only a way to make a living, but is also an expression of faith, he said.
He told the newspaper this job is expensive, although he would not reveal the total that is expected to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The tab is being picked up by a patron who wishes to remain anonymous. More money will be needed to complete work and likely will come from the church’s 500 other families.
Unlike the Sistine Chapel, which took Michelangelo four years (1508-1512) to complete, this job is expected to take only six weeks and be completed as soon as the end of March.
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