What distinguishes Sofia Datseri’s “Mythιcals” is that they go beyond the visual part, i.e. their desire to be beautiful. Sofia Datseri’s “Mythicals” are primarily “intelligent”! And this is because Datseri, with just a few works, succeeds and “poets” her own cosmogony: she overwhelms us with imagination that penetrates form and merges time. Through her work, modern Crete emerges as a continuation of the ancient Minoan culture, but also of the newer tradition as reflected in the archaeological and folklore museums of Crete.

With a special style and technique, Sofia Datseri rewrites “Cretan mythology”, sometimes combining the style of the Kamarai vases, ceramics of the Middle Minoan period that depict complex and curvilinear designs or motifs full of imagination, and more rarely with subjects from the animal and plant world and sometimes elements from folkloric tradition, folk poetry, painting on cloth, etc. In any case, the “Mythicals” project an anthropocentric character, in contrast to the rest of her works of art.

With a careful look, we can distinguish in her works the modern man in the rural environment of the Cretan countryside, in a folkloric, i.e. narrative, way. The depiction of the woman, in contrast with the image of the man, is interesting. The woman is depicted whole, with visible limbs, legs and arms, in contrast to the man who is rendered partially, as he is either hidden behind the tool of work – shown at first glance – or behind some animal that is also used for work ( the boat, the bee, the hound), highlighting in this way the importance of work for the man as an extension towards a masculine ideal.

The “Mythicals” are a genuine, mature and authentic voice that we must definitely include in the treasures of modern folklore.