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Son of Michael

Jodie Michaelides

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Hi, I am Jodie Michaelides, a picture editor and documentary photographer based in London. My photographic practice explores themes of heritage, identity, nostalgia, and the appropriation of archival material.

Hi, I am Jodie Michaelides, a picture editor and documentary photographer based in London. ...

Son of Michael 2022, is an extensive, personal exploration of my Greek–Cypriot heritage, focusing closely on my relationship with my grandpa, Marios; Marios is from Limassol, Cyprus. My surname is Michaelides; in Greek, the ‘-ides’ suffix is patronymic from the name Mikhael or Michael (meaning ‘son of’ or ‘descendant of’). Therefore, my project’s name is Son of Michael.

Son of Michael explores personal notions of nostalgia, heritage, and identity. The project responds to my grandpa’s nostalgia for Cyprus, whilst unpacking the familiar unfamiliarity I have felt for Cyprus throughout my life. Son of Michael considers how history occupies space, reflecting on the passing of time. Son of Michael is an ongoing photo series, realised in a printed publication, a set of postcards, and digitally.

Son of Michael blends appropriated archival imagery with my photography. The appropriated archival material is from my family’s photographic archives, as well as from Edward Voskeritchian, a pioneer of photography in Cyprus.

Final work

My grandfather is holding an olive sprig at Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa, Paphos.

Olive Sprig, Paphos, 2022

My grandfather is holding an olive sprig at Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa, Paphos. The olive sprig is a symbol of peace and friendship.

My grandpa, Marios, sits on the beach in Limassol. Photographed from behind, only the back of his head is visible. Marios is wearing a blue sweater.

Grandpa's Brain, Limassol, 2022

Grandpa's Brain is a portrait of my grandpa sitting on the beach in Limassol.

An empty coffee cup sits on a table adorned with a pink floral tablecloth.

Cyprus Coffee, Nicosia, 2022

Cypriot coffee is used to tell one’s fortune. Once nearly finished, the cup is turned upside down onto the saucer. The coffee’s pattern residue is thought to reveal the drinker’s fortune.

  • A detail shot of a backgammon board in Nicosia. The dice read 3 and 6.
  • My great grandmother, Γαλάτεια, stands outside of Madame Tussauds London in the summer of 1958. She wears a floral dress and pearls.
  • A black and white detail image of a flower farm in Zygi, Cyprus.

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Son of Michael

Son of Michael 2022, is an extensive, personal exploration of my Greek–Cypriot heritage, focusing closely on my relationship with my grandpa, Marios; Marios is from Limassol, Cyprus. My surname is Michaelides; in Greek, the ‘-ides’ suff...

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