The official conference poster was created by Greek-American artist Eva Fakatselis, whose work bridges themes of health, spirituality, and identity through a deeply personal visual language.

As part of the conference, Eva Fakatselis will also present a selection of works on paper under the title Heart Votives, a series inspired by human resilience and the symbolism of the heart as a vessel of emotion and healing.

With these works, Fakatselis continues to explore personal themes; integrating techniques and inspiration from the history of illumination and iconography. The original catalyst for this studio practice was born out of her battle with blood cancer in 2017, which had a metamorphosis effect on the course of her life. Out of this came Fakatselis’ preoccupation with circulatory systems, blood, the role of prayer and miracles in daily life and the desire to delve deeper into identity. The representation of tree fractals provides a metaphor for our circulatory system, and incorporated symbols reflects our collective history of mythology and iconography.

In September of 2023, the artist’s father unexpectedly underwent open heart surgery, and she began work on a series of sewn heart organ paintings, meant as votive prayers for the success of his operation. In Greek myth, textile metaphors are often used to convey intangible destiny, and Eva began to create these meditative handiworks of deep spiritual practice in a time of need. The artist has recently developed work that enters into the arterial system, creating intimate votive paintings of the heart and more abstract and visceral interpretations using resin, yarn and ink that can be further explored on her website in the section titled Bloodlines.

Come and discover Heart Votives and meet the artist behind ICE2025 poster.