“Paul Raphael – Ios: In the Light of the Gods” at the Gaitis-Simosi Museum in Ios

30 photographs capturing the unique Greek light

The Gaitis Simossi Museum presents the first temporary exhibition of its 2026 artistic programme with a photographic tribute to the dramatic landscapes of Ios titled “Ios: In the Light of the Gods” by Paul Raphael, the award winning British film producer, curated by the distinguished Jean Blanchaert. The exhibition opens on May 1, 2026, at 7:30 pm and runs until July 3, 2026.

The exhibition features 30 photographs capturing the unique Greek light as it moves across the seascapes and rocky formations of Ios, an island Raphael has known since childhood and has chosen in recent years as his permanent home. The works are presented through large scale photographic prints displayed in light boxes, emphasising the power of the Mediterranean sun, whether in the radiant clarity of summer or in the lesser known, untamed face of winter. As the artist himself explains: “I wanted to find a way for the sun to pass through the images,” he says, “to illuminate them from within.”

This marks Raphael’s first presentation as a photographer, following a significant career in cinema. His credits include the films Pascali’s Island, Rogue Trader and the award winning Under the Bombs, while he has collaborated with actors such as Sir Ben Kingsley and Ewan McGregor.

Fish Like © Paul Raphael, 2026

A Lifelong Bond with Ios

The exhibition is presented following an invitation from Loretta Gaiti, who notes: “When the museum opened its doors in September 2024, it was obvious, both to the island’s mayor Gkikas Gkikas and to me, that the first temporary exhibition should be a tribute to Ios. Paul’s photographs felt like an entirely natural choice.”

Paul Raphael’s relationship with Ios began in 1962, around the same period when Yannis Gaitis and Gabriella Simossi discovered the island as their personal refuge. His father, Frederic Raphael, novelist and Oscar winning screenwriter of films such as Darling and Eyes Wide Shut by Stanley Kubrick, as well as a translator of ancient Greek myths, purchased a small traditional house on the island near the site traditionally believed to be the tomb of Homer.

During their summer visits, Raphael’s father invented stories about “the little god”, an imaginary local deity concerned exclusively with the affairs of Ios. The “little god” would often converse with the great gods of Olympus, but only about matters concerning the island. In this mythical world, sunsets were the work of Apollo and the great waves the wrath of Poseidon. These stories left a profound mark on Paul’s imagination, within a landscape that remains almost unchanged since the age of Homer.

Now aged 68, Raphael reflects: “I was fortunate to live in many countries when I was young, but it was Greece, with its ancient myths and dramatic landscapes, that truly captivated me. Since settling here, I have walked thousands of kilometres with my camera. It is a great joy for me that some of these images are being shown in such a special place. The title of the exhibition, Ios: In the Light of the Gods, is a tribute to the magical influences of my childhood.”

The decision to present the works in specially commissioned light boxes, produced by the Athens based company Multiplo, is connected both to Raphael’s relationship with cinema and to the unique quality of Cycladic light.

Curator Jean Blanchaert notes: “The exhibition Ios: In the Light of the Gods is a tribute to Raphael’s defining influences and to an island experienced as a mythological world. Its sea, the Aegean, is the theatre of history. A striking feature of Paul’s photographs is the beauty that surrounds them like a precious, impenetrable shell. Each image is an act of devotion to Ios. His connection with nature is deep and profound.”