Greek Myths Series

I am a storyteller that enjoys recalling ancient narratives, morphing them, and finding meaning in them relevant to my own life. 

As a half-Jewish and Greek man, Judaism had always been the major part of my life, thanks to my mother’s side of the family. I was raised Jewish, celebrated and observed the many Jewish holidays, and embraced Israel’s cultural traditions by living abroad for a year and half. However, the Greek part of my identity, which comes from my father’s side, was never fully explored, investigated, or even thought of. I have this very profound and famous last name, “Papanikolaou,” and it’s always been both a humorous conversation starter and a complete disconnection – albeit powerful. My surname is related to Dr. Georgios Papanikolaou, the inventor of the pap smear, and growing up, that has been the only connection I’ve had with my Greek heritage – a very distant and vague one. I equated this connection as being a descendent of the good doctor – though my first trip to Greece in August 2024 would settle this pending enigma. All my life, this discovery and lack of genealogical identity made me wonder about other aspects of my Greek identity and family that I am missing out on. 

The only connections I had with my Greek heritage were through studying myths and legends. I was hungry to know more about this untapped Greek side of my identity and looked to books and other sources to feed my appetite. I was enrolled in private school at a young age, taking courses and subjects that were highly academic, philosophical, and collegiate, like classical literature, mythology, and poetry, amongst other humanities courses. In my mythology studies, I began to relate to these Greek heroes and deities for their statuses and flaws. These g-ds were all-powerful, yet still human. They interacted with one another yet could truly stand alone. They made mistakes and wreaked havoc in a cyclical game of power and play, yet there was a life lesson that was learned. Since then, mythology has had a special place in my heart and ideals, much like the realm of science fiction. 

This Greek Myths Series is a love letter to myself after a long journey. It is an extension of my persona, investigating my past to unravel the path toward my future. All ten (10) works depict a different chapter in my journey as I navigated life while enrolled in graduate school.

If you would like to know more information about DANI PAPA's Greek Myths Series, please contact him via email.

art@danipapa.com