About

At Triton & Shell, we welcome you into a vibrant home for the art of handmade paper and the book arts, located in Dafni, Athens, Greece. Our multispace brings together exhibitions, a historical archive, and a fully equipped workshop — creating a unique environment where history, craftsmanship, and artistic creation meet.

Our rotating exhibitions draw from the richness of our archive, offering visitors new perspectives on the history and artistry of papermaking across cultures and centuries, while also showcasing contemporary artists working with paper.

The archive holds more than 2,000 books, tools, paper samples, and rare objects from around the world — from rare Japanese editions to traditional papermaking tools from Mexico — each piece reflecting the rich, global tradition of paper.

Our workshop invites artists, collectors, and enthusiasts to explore traditional techniques and contemporary experiments with paper as a living material.

Beyond our physical space, Triton & Shell is the first non-profit organization in Greece exclusively dedicated to handmade paper and the book arts.

Our mission is to preserve, document, and celebrate the cultural significance of paper, while offering a dynamic meeting place for artists, visual creators, publishers, photographers, printmakers, conservators, researchers, and all who are passionate about paper.

We believe that paper is not just a medium — it is a bridge between memory, art, and the human spirit.

At Triton & Shell, we invite you to be part of this ongoing journey.

I chose Triton, a minor god of Greek mythology, closely tied to water, whose few surviving myths leave space for new stories to be born. I believe even Hesiod would have chosen him — a hidden figure, perfect for inspiring new myths.

Greece never had a handmade paper tradition, so mythology became my way to weave paper into the Greek soul.

In my imagined myth:

Triton, son and messenger of Poseidon, ruled over the waters with a conch shell gifted by his father. He lived by Lake Tritonis, a once-lush and fertile place where the desert now meets the salt flats of Chott el Djerid, in Tunisia.

According to Greek mythology, it was on the shores of this very lake that the goddess Athena was born — a sacred connection that forever linked Triton to her destiny.

There came a day when Triton beheld Athena’s divine birth. Proud of her wisdom and grace, he later offered a unique gift to her people: he taught the Athenians the secret art of making handmade paper, a material that would allow them to record the stories of gods and mortals alike.

Although paper was simple to craft, the Athenians overlooked it, favoring papyrus instead. Triton's gift was forgotten — until centuries later, when the Chinese reinvented papermaking, and through the Arabs, it traveled across the world.

Today, Triton & Shell seeks to bring the art of paper back into the spotlight — connecting creators who work with paper in a vibrant space of creation and dialogue in Athens.

At Triton & Shell, we believe that handmade paper is a living bridge between tradition and contemporary creation.

Our vision is to preserve, document, and celebrate the cultural significance of paper, while inspiring new forms of artistic expression.

Our values are:

• Preservation of Knowledge: Safeguarding the techniques, history, and spirit of handmade papermaking.
• Artistic Freedom: Supporting artists and creators who explore the endless possibilities of paper.
• Cultural Dialogue: Building connections between traditions and communities through the shared language of paper.
• Accessibility: Opening the world of paper to everyone through exhibitions, workshops, and educational activities.
• Respect for Craft and Nature: Promoting authenticity, manual skill, and sustainable practices.

At Triton & Shell, paper is not just a material — it is a space where memory, craftsmanship, and imagination come together.

Triton & Shell was founded by Andreas Fatouros, paper conservator, collector, and visionary behind the project, together with a team of distinguished collaborators:

• Dr. Konstantinos Choulis, Professor of Book and Paper Conservation at the University of West Attica;
• Maria Genitsariou, calligrapher and visual artist;
• Eugenia Manta, writer and text curator.

Each founder brings a unique perspective — from historical research and conservation to artistic practice and storytelling — united by a shared passion for handmade paper and its cultural significance.

Together, they shaped Triton & Shell into a vibrant meeting point for artists, scholars, and paper enthusiasts from Greece and beyond.