Family Pictures/Nostos

Nostos (=returning to the home country, longing). Nostos as a theme in Ancient Greek Literature, includes an epic hero returning home, often by sea. In Ancient Greek society, it was deemed a high level of heroism or greatness for those who managed to return.

Nostalgia is a derivative of the word (=a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations)

Jeff Bliumis with his series “Nostos” dives into the depths of his own sea of memories and retrieves his own pebbles, often personal, often mythological, all revealing a small piece of his psyche. These pebbles occupy the space in between the real and the imagined when confronted with the vast sea of our memories. Carved in metal, the pebbles exist fully formed but ever-changing in perspective and experience. Each piece is naively picked, allowing authenticity to the randomness of the imaginary space of memories. The morphological scenery of each piece surrealistically reveals our innate apophenia, tapping into the depths of individual experience but mythologically grazing a collective consciousness.