ΠΟΡΤΡΕΤΑ / PORTRAITS
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Autor:
NIKOS TSOUKNIDAS
Country:
Greece (GR)
Book Theme:
Graphic novels, Manga and more
Publisher:
METAIXMIO
Publishing Year:
2024
Nikos Tsouknidas is a Greek illustrator, graphic novelist and engineer. He studied electrical engineering and computer programming in Athens before moving to Japan to pursue a Master’s in Strategic Design at Kyushu University. After relocating to London, he began working for BBC as a lead data engineer in machine-learning, while maintaining his artistic alter ego “Tsouk”. His debut graphic novel Portraits was released in French by Dargaud Publications and in English by Europe Comics, blending historical fact with imaginative visuals.
National Award for Children’s and Young People’s
Abstract
In June 1838, in the newly established Kingdom of Greece, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre (1787–1851) arrives on a small, secluded Greek island. Unknown to the locals, he carries with him a closely guarded secret, his groundbreaking invention: photography, still in its raw, primitive form. Yet, he struggles with a profound question: should he reveal it to the world or keep it hidden?
Years later, Daguerre would be hailed as the father of photography, his name spoken everywhere (even adapted into its Hellenized form). But at that moment, he was still an anonymous figure. With the help of a young Greek who discovers a way to enhance the performance and printing process of Daguerre’s camera, this remarkable invention will spread across the globe, becoming one of the most celebrated innovations of the past two centuries.
The story combines history and imagination through Nikos Tsouknidas’s elegant, light-filled illustrations inspired by the Greek landscape. Using a refined color palette and minimalist design, it depicts Daguerre’s imagined journey to Greece while exploring universal themes such as longing, migration, human connection, youth, and belonging, all set in an authentic, unspoiled Greek world.
