The exhibition “What Was Not Said Was Embroidered”, featuring works by photographer Mina Trikali and embroiderer Nana Lampraki, and curated by Dora Lavazou, approaches the dowry as an unwritten history of women and as a vessel of memory connecting generations.

The starting point for the project was Mina Trikali’s personal chest and the dowry pieces created by her mother. In the exhibition, ten symbolic female figures are brought together with authentic embroidery, family objects and short phrases that function as inner monologues.

Her photographs are transferred by hand onto fabric and meet the embroidered interventions of Nana Lampraki, creating a dialogue between the photographic image, thread and memory.

The project is complemented by audio testimonies, interviews, videos and archival material, bringing real voices and personal stories of women into the exhibition.

The exhibition “speaks” not only about the dowry as a social institution, but above all about what is quietly passed down from one generation to the next: care, resilience, values, silences and lived experiences. As photographer Mina Trikali notes:

“The most precious dowry is not kept in chests. It is what we endured. What we held on to. What we passed on without ever saying it.”

Because there are stories that were never written in words.
They were embroidered.

INFORMATION

“What Was Not Said Was Embroidered”
Art exhibition by Mina Trikali & Nana Lampraki

Dates: 2–15 October 2026
Opening: Friday, 2 October 2026, at 19:00
Venue: Multipurpose Space – Gallery of the Municipal Art Gallery of Heraklion, Chrysostomou 8, Heraklion
Opening hours: Monday–Friday: 10:00–14:00 & 18:00–21:00
Weekends and public holidays: closed
Admission: Free to the public | Telephone: 2810 339067 | E-mail: artgallery@heraklion.gr

CONTRIBUTORS

Artistic creation, research, photography, video, interviews, recording, editing and sound mixing: Mina Trikali
Handmade transfer and production of works: Mina Trikali
Embroidered artistic intervention: Nana Lampraki
Curated by: Dora Lavazou
Installation manager: Andreas Stavrianoudakis-Kampas
Catalogue texts – writing and editing: Stella Chaireti and Lioumpitsa Kardaki
Catalogue photographs: Mina Trikali and Andreas Stavrianoudakis-Kampas
Video editing and post-production: Nikos Simos
Lullaby performance: Maria Trikali
Graphic design: Semeli Apostolaki - Alfa 3 Art Ground

SUPPORT | UNDER THE AUSPICES OF | SPONSORSHIPS

With funding from the Region of Crete and the substantial support and valuable contribution of the Directorate of Culture and the Independent Office for Equality of the Region of Crete.

As part of the parallel event “WOMEN” | Crete Festival 2026.

The parallel event “Women – Cultural Heritage – Creation” is held under the auspices of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture and the General Secretariat for Equality and Human Rights.

Hospitality Sponsor: Hotel Olympic | Media Sponsor: iFocus.gr

The artists:

MINA TRIKALI

Mina Trikali was born in Trikala, Thessaly, and has lived and worked in Heraklion, Crete, since 1991. Since 1999, she has been responsible for the Library and Photographic Archive of the Natural History Museum of Crete at the University of Crete, an activity that also feeds into her artistic perspective.

Since 2010, she has been a member of the Hellenic Photographic Society of Heraklion (E.F.E.I.), while since 2013 she has participated in Greek and international artistic photography competitions, receiving distinctions and awards. In 2014, she was awarded the title Artist FIAP (A.FIAP) by the International Federation of Photographic Art. She has participated in group exhibitions in Greece and abroad and has served as a member of judging panels in international photography competitions.

She has presented two solo exhibitions: “The Child Within Us” (2019), as part of the “Art on the Road” festival in Heraklion, and “When Colour Falls Silent...” (2023), at E.F.E.I. Since 2024, she has been a member of the Pan-Cretan Association of Visual Artists “Neorion Technis”.

NANA LAMPRAKI

Nausika (Nana) Lampraki was born in Thessaloniki to parents from Chania and grew up in Serres. She later settled in Crete, where she raised her family and worked for many years at the Prefecture of Heraklion.

Her relationship with embroidery and knitting began in childhood, as she watched her mother. Over the years, she developed her own creative language, experimenting with different stitches, knitting techniques, fabrics and materials. She creates works using wool, silk and improvised threads, works with batik techniques, sewing and home crafts, as well as painting with mixed media.

Her relationship with the dowry is also personal, as she handmade the dowries of her children. In the exhibition “What Was Not Said Was Embroidered”, her handmade art meets the photographic perspective of Mina Trikali, creating a dialogue between memory, family tradition and contemporary artistic expression.

INFORMATION / CONTACT

Mina Trikali 6973695861 | E-mail: trikali@uoc.gr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minatrikali/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mina.trik
Website: https://minatrikali.gr/