Writing the Light: The Orthodox Icon as Living, Moving Tradition

Eastern Orthodox iconographer George Kordis: "Icons are doors through which the divine comes to us. Paradise comes to us. When we paint icons, we do not try to represent things from the past or the future. We try to create presences. It’s not only about meaning. It’s not only about theology. It’s also about experience—a feeling that this is a different space, a space where everything is in love. Wherever you stand, you have the sense that things are drawing near to you—that everything is embracing you and is here for you. It’s a presence. You feel at home. You feel as if you are in Paradise." ------------- The government of Hungary recently gifted a complex of buildings in central Budapest to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who subsequently commissioned the creation of an Orthodox Dialogue Center. At the heart of this effort will be a new Orthodox cathedral. George Kordis—one of the world’s greatest living iconographers—has been commissioned to fill the cathedral with original icons. It is an astonishing undertaking. This film captures the work in progress, as we hear from George about his theology and his personal connection to iconography. Kordis is an internationally renowned Orthodox iconographer, painter, and scholar, known for revitalizing the tradition of Byzantine iconography with a distinctly contemporary visual language. Born in Greece in 1956, Kordis holds a doctorate in theology from the University of Athens and studied Byzantine art at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston. He served for many years as a professor of iconography and Byzantine art at the University of Athens and has taught and lectured widely around the world. Kordis’s icons are celebrated for their dynamic line work, vibrant color, and theological depth, reflecting his belief that tradition is a living, creative act. His work can be found in churches, cathedrals, and galleries across Greece, the U.S., the U.K., Lebanon, Germany, Hungary, and beyond. He is also the founder of the Orthodox Iconography Center, where he trains new generations of iconographers. MB01AAWDHFW3TQE MB0106DW55RXF5U