Born in 1969 in Zakynthos, Sofia Michou has been passionate about art for as long as she can remember. At just 15 years old, she began formal drawing lessons, setting the foundation for a lifelong journey in the arts.

In 1989, together with Petros Kazantzidis, she began exploring papier-mâché as a creative medium under the name Mahogani. As an artist couple, they sought a material that was both sculptural and paintable, aligning with their vision of anaglyphic painting and polychrome sculpture. Their goal was to craft a fully immersive artistic environment, where functional art—such as furniture and decorative objects—could seamlessly integrate with daily life.

From 1989 to 1992, Sofia and Petros lived and worked in Paris, continuously developing their artistic practice. Their collaboration, both in art and in life, continued until 2007.
Between 1992 and 2000, they showcased their work in an open studio in Athens, a creative space where visitors could witness the papier-mâché process firsthand. During this time, Sofia was also mentoring young artists in this unique craft.
Throughout the years, Sofia not only worked as a painter and sculptor but also shared her knowledge, offering papier-mâché seminars across Greece.

In 2001, Sofia and Petros established Mahogani, a cultural space and artistic bar designed to exhibit their works and share their creative vision with the public. Over time, Mahogani evolved into a family-run business, now involving Sofia and her three children—Ion, Dionysia, and Giorgos. Today, it offers a blend of Mediterranean cuisine personally prepared by Sofia, expertly crafted cocktails by Giorgos, art exhibitions and performances curated by Ion, and classical music concerts organized by Dionysia. The space also serves as a platform for emerging artists, hosting exhibitions and cultural events.
Since 2007, Sofia has been living and working primarily in Zakynthos, continuing to create and foster a vibrant artistic community.

Ion Kazantzidis is a multidisciplinary artist, DJ and curator, currently dividing his time between Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Athens and Zakynthos, Greece. He was born in Preveza, Greece, in 1990 into a family of artists and grew up in Athens. Since 2017, he is a master’s graduate from the Athens School of Fine Arts, where he excelled in painting, sculpture, cross disciplinary installations, and photography. 

During his Studies and until 2020, he was the co-founder, art director and administrator of the artist collective project BLNK, responsible for cross-disciplinary events in Athens, Greece and Berlin, Germany such as: 

Tsiknotekno, an annual art-rave, which over a span of six years (2014-2019) became an established happening in the underground art scene of Athens;

Blakbox (2018-19), a series of hybrid art-rave experiments in club Temple and Maze in Athens and Berlin;

Toddlers, a playground by BLNK, a three day interactive art festival and adult playground, funded by Burning Man from Nevada, USA and presented in Athens, Greece in 2019;

Since 2020 he has been collaborating with La Uyi Ihasee (physical theatre performer, choreographer, and drag performer), making costumes, masks and scenography for projects such as:

Dewy Island, an immersive alternative opera, Fever Dreams, a masked dance piece presented in Momo festival (Rotterdam); Dancing for Peace an interactive one-person show presented in Frascati (Amsterdam)

From 2021 until 2023, together with his sister Dionysia Kazantzidi and in collaboration with the Dialoghi Trio, a historically informed baroque ensemble, he co-produced an interdisciplinary performance called Wondermuziekkamer: an adaptation of the European collection. This presentation combined live baroque music, animatronics, video portraits, animations, and drag performance. Wondermuziekkamer developed over a two year period and was presented in Utrecht at theatre Kikker and in De Nijverheid, and in Amsterdam at Tempel and Sexyland. Wondermuziekkamer was funded by Amsterdam Fund for the Arts (AFK), Norma Funds, and the municipality of Utrecht.

As a solo creator, he has exhibited in numerous venues such as Romantso and Loft in Athens, Greece, and in art galleries and museums including Gregoriades, Camp Athens, the Roof Tiles and Brickworks Historical Museum Tsalapatas in Volos, Greece, and Vonitsa’s Cultural Center. His artwork can also be found in the art café Mahogani in Zakynthos, Greece, a cultural space owned by him and his two siblings.

He is currently working on a series of large-scale paintings inspired by the work of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. He is also preparing his next solo show, a combination of sculptures, animatronics, video works, and paintings. Ion also works as a DJ under the name FATKID. He is the resident DJ of art café Mahogani, where he curates club nights every Friday during the summer season.

Ion’s art is based on humor and is strongly influenced by pop culture, as well as by traditions and mythologies. He aims to critique and evaluate deep-rooted social norms and structures, including racial stereotypes, gender identity, sex, and religion, while joking about what is considered too serious or sacred. These “jokes,” as he describes them, aim to make people laugh while also prompting them to reconsider their own assumptions. Feeling guilty or uncomfortable is a way for him to learn, and this is what he expects from his audience as well. To achieve this, he creates safe spaces and circumstances where people can let go of their inhibitions and engage in playful experimentation.