We met him at work. And, mainly because of the uniqueness of his art, our professional relationship became personal, to the extent that we could claim to have known him and that we had nothing more to say to each other. Perhaps this explains why, as colleagues for 27 years, we never went out for coffee or dinner with a man who we now realize was one of our closest friends. Because while getting to know some people requires endless hours of socializing and conversation, with others, a single moment is enough to reveal the deep essence of their character. And with Christos, we had quite a few such moments on construction sites over the last 26 years.
In Kythira, we had the professional good fortune to have many exceptional craftsmen (of the many, we will mention only the late Dimitris Koronis), who are gradually retiring, unfortunately leaving a huge gap in quality. But as for Christos, Grafakos had prepared us from the outset for how good a craftsman he was – and we saw this from his very first project. From then until a year ago, every time the frame of a building was completed, we would perform the following ceremony:
«Good morning, Christos.»
«Huh? Huh? Tell the truth! You've never seen concrete like this before.»
To tell the truth, every project he delivered—always flawless and meticulously organized—was better than the last. So we gladly endured his farewell display of pride, the tour of the shipyard as a handover ceremony, like the unveiling of a monument, searching for a flaw so that we too would have something to say.
More than anything else, we will miss Christos« charming moments of »self-admiration," which were not, however, the result of insecurity or a need for recognition. No, Christos (like any master who has reached the heights of his art) was fully aware of the value of his work and did not need anyone else to certify it. His work was not a professional or psychological investment for some future time, but a constant deposit of sweat and soul., now. And for him, at a time when nonsense and meritocracy prevailed everywhere, it was important to participate in a Resistance, to express the value that value has. So he did not admire himself, but defended the importance of everyone doing their job as a vocation. His love for what he did was so great and the results so good that every time he completed the concrete work on a project, we felt we were sharing in its paternity, a piece of intellectual property leaving us architects and going to him.
Like everyone else, he came and went. But he left his mark, a tangible legacy that will be enjoyed by many generations, long after we have all been more or less forgotten. And so he proved that people who invest all their love in the present have their eyes on the future.
«Huh? Huh? Tell the truth! You've never seen concrete like this before. And you'll never see it again!»
With boundless respect and gratitude,
Andreas and Drosia
