DKBS x AMTh
Darryl Keith Babatunde Smith at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki
Darryl Keith Babatunde Smith (D.K.B. Smith) is a multifaceted young artist-researcher who teaches anatomy to artists. His professional portfolio already includes four solo exhibitions alongside numerous participations in group shows[1]. A defining characteristic of his artistic and scholarly practice is the profound and deeply personal relationship he has cultivated with Greek antiquity, both in its literary and artistic dimensions. In addition to his native English, he is proficient in three other European languages –German, French, and Italian– and possesses an advanced knowledge of both Ancient and Modern Greek, as well as Latin. His multilingualism is not merely instrumental but constitutive of his artistic identity, informing his work at both conceptual and expressive levels. Through his practice, he explores how each language conveys visual form, meaning, and emotional resonance. A devoted student of ancient Greek art and literature, D.K.B. Smith engages with classical texts in their original form and actively investigates their intersections with ancient artefacts –objects with which he maintains a continuous and evolving dialogue, and from which he constantly draws inspiration. His deep commitment to the Greek ancient culture is further reflected in his choice to sign his artworks in Greek, using the initials of his name: ΔΚΒΣ (DKBS).
His paintings bear the distinctive imprint of his multifaceted personality and reflect his specialized training in human anatomical studies. In alignment with the anthropocentric character of ancient Greek culture, he places himself at the center of his artistic practice, using his own body as the primary model for his works –a gesture that may also be interpreted as a semiotic act, symbolizing his ongoing attempt to perceive the ancient world within the framework of contemporary lived experience. His body and his art thus serve as a bridge between ancient and modern civilization.
Even his choice of medium –metalpoint– constitutes a further declaration of his direct connection to antiquity. The use of a metal stylus, most often silver, to render a sketch or fully developed composition on specially prepared paper or wood traces its roots to ancient Egypt and Greece. This refined technique saw its golden age in the ateliers of Renaissance masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Albrecht Dürer, and reemerged in the 19th century with renewed force. Finally, his selective use of color within the unadorned and atmospheric quality of his drawings subtly directs the viewer’s gaze toward those elements the artist intends to underscore.
This temporary art exhibition entitled “Man is by nature…” features a total of eight small-scale paintings by D.K.B. Smith. These works have been discreetly displayed on the walls of the permanent exhibitions of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki (AMTh), specifically within “The Gold of Macedon,” “In Macedonia from the 7th c. BC to Late Antiquity,” and “Thessaloniki, Τhe Metropolis of Macedonia.”
Both the title of the exhibition and the eight works by D.K.B. Smith draw their inspiration from the three aforementioned exhibitions of the Museum. The Aristotelian quote from the Politics, “By nature, man is a political animal” (φύσει μέν ἐστινἄνθρωπος πολιτικὸν ζῷον), which accompanies the section of the permanent exhibition “In Macedonia from the 7th c. BC to Late Antiquity” and addresses the social and political structures of ancient Macedonia, prompted the artist to pose a fundamental question: how does he himself conceive of the nature of human identity? This reflection ultimately inspired the title of his exhibition. The artist’s response takes shape through a bold interpretive engagement with specific artefacts from the Museum’s collections. His approach seeks to stimulate thought and evoke emotion, while at the same time highlighting selected artefacts of the ancient Macedonian culture that illuminate the intrinsic relationship between humanity and nature.
More specifically, certain masterpieces of ancient Macedonian metalwork and minor arts served as a source of inspiration for D.K.B. Smith. These include the unique bronze krater from Derveni, featuring a relief depiction of the sacred marriage of Dionysus and Ariadne, a bronze medallion with a bust of the goddess Athena from a chariot decoration, a gold ring engraved with the inscription ΔΩΡΟΝ (gift), a gold pendant with an inlaid precious stone (amethyst), a gold pair of earrings with hanging elements in the shape of a bull’s head and acorns, a gold mouthpiece, and gold wreaths –as the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki holds the largest collection of golden wreaths in the world. The artist was also inspired by ceramic and marble artefacts, such as a clay chest larnax, marble sculptures, and an inscribed votive relief depicting an ear from the Temple of the Egyptian Gods (Serapeion) in Thessaloniki.
These ancient artefacts, although varied in terms of type, material, chronology, and origin, share a common characteristic: they all focus on the human being and the relationship between humanity, the earth, and nature. This theme is central to the work of D.K.B. Smith, as –according to the conclusion of his research process– humanity in ancient cultures is inextricably linked to nature in all aspects of life and death. It is no coincidence, therefore, that the nude human body –that of the artist himself, or his face, or specific facial features– dominates nearly all his works in this exhibition, often depicted in poses reminiscent of human figures represented in ancient exhibits of the Museum.
In the eight paintings that comprise this small, yet symbolically rich, exhibition by D.K.B. Smith, the artist reveals his interpretation of ancient Macedonian culture, as he encountered it through the diverse artefacts in the Museum. He translates this understanding through his use of the metalpoint technique and selective color choices applied to icon painting wood panels. The choice of canvas and the gold background he selectively applies serve as a direct reference to Byzantine icons, while the use of silver and gold styli creates a direct link to metallurgy –an essential aspect of ancient Macedonian art, as vividly showcased in the Museum’s permanent exhibition “The Gold of Macedon.”
As mentioned above, the eight paintings by D.K.B. Smith are not presented all together in a single exhibition hall within the Museum but rather are distributed throughout the galleries of the three permanent exhibitions. In order to avoid any confusion on the part of visitors who would encounter contemporary works of art among ancient artefacts, Smith’s works have been installed directly on the walls, in close visual and spatial proximity to the antiquities that inspired them. This curatorial choice aims to make the connections between ancient and contemporary works more immediately perceptible and to foster a meaningful dialogue between the art of the past and that of the present[2]. For the same reason, we have adopted the approach of direct visual “juxtaposition” between ancient artefacts and contemporary paintings in the exhibition catalog as well. In the catalog, brief interpretive notes –some written by us, others by the artist himself– offer possible readings of the relationships between the ancient artefacts and the contemporary artworks.
Through this direct, visual and spatial, coexistence and conversation between the old and the new, we try in this exhibition to avoid a common trap: that of contemporary art being used in a traditional –in this case an archaeological– museum solely as a tool, a kind of magnifying lens, to draw the visitor’s attention more closely to the ancient artefacts on display. Instead, our aim is to cultivate a reciprocal dialogue; one that transcends the narrow confines of superficial comparison and offers museum visitors a fresh perspective from which to engage both with the ancient objects and the contemporary artworks alike.
This museological and museographic approach, in a sense, invites visitors to actively seek out D.K.B. Smith’s paintings among the hundreds of ancient artefacts, encouraging reflection on the influence of antiquity on contemporary artistic production. However, visitor engagement is not limited to this exploratory element alone. Two of the eight works –The Gift and The Derveni Boy– arrived at the Museum in an unfinished state and were completed by the artist in real time, during public hours, within the gallery housing the renowned Derveni Krater. Upon completion, they were immediately installed in that same space, just prior to the exhibition’s opening. The aim of this performative action was to capture the attention of Museum visitors by offering them the rare opportunity to witness the artist at work, to engage in conversation with him, and to participate in a shared creative process, thus fostering a direct and reciprocal relationship during the final stages of the artworks’ creation.
It is therefore no coincidence that the opening of D.K.B. Smith’s exhibition is scheduled for May 18, 2025 –International Museum Day– whose theme this year is “Museums and Society in Transition.” In its ongoing effort to renew and deepen its engagement with the local community and the broader public, the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki hosts this exhibition with the aspiration of fostering a meaningful and reciprocal dialogue between ancient and contemporary art. The aim is to create a dynamic exchange that benefits all involved –the Museum itself, the artworks (both ancient and modern), the visitors, and the evolving relationship between the artist and the institution, in this case between DKBS and AMTh.
[1] https://www.dkbsart.com
[2] On the matter, see indicatively: Alix de la Chapelle, “Old and new: Dialogues between ancient and contemporary arts in traditional museums”, 2015, New York University Institute of Fine Arts - Research paper, with extended bibliographical references.
(https://www.academia.edu/38599850/Old_and_new_Dialogues_between_ancient_and_contemporay_arts_in_traditional_museums).
Curators of the exhibition
Dr Evangelia Tsangaraki, archaeologist, AMTh
Elektra Zografou, archaeologist, AMTh