“Me graphsen” (με γραφσεν) literally means “wrote me” or “drew me” in Attic Greek. It comes from γράφω (grapho)—to write, to draw, or to paint. From this same root we get a whole family of English words: graph, graphic, calligraphy (beautiful writing), geography (earth writing), biography (life writing), lithography (stone writing), and many more.
In ancient Greece, craftsmen—particularly potters and painters—often signed their work using phrases like me graphsen or the more common me poiesen (με ποιησεν), meaning “made me.” These inscriptions were written as though spoken by the object itself: so-and-so made me; so-and-so painted me. The art quite literally spoke on behalf of its creator.
That idea has always resonated deeply with me.
As an artist, a writer, and a lover of mythology, I am drawn to forms of making where image, story, and meaning are inseparable. Much of my work—both visual and written—is narrative in nature. It tells stories, borrows from ancient traditions, and participates in a lineage where art is not merely decorative, but communicative.
During my time in the fine art department at Brigham Young University–Idaho, I took several ceramics courses. One assignment remains a favorite: recreating a historical vessel or technique. Because of my enduring fascination with Greek mythology and classical art, I chose to recreate a lekythos (ληκυθος), a cylindrical vessel traditionally used to store olive oil.
The depiction on the surface is of Nike, Goddess of Victory, holding a winner’s sash—a traditional athletic prize—poised as though presenting it to a champion.
In this piece, I included both a potter’s signature and a painter’s signature, echoing the conventions of ancient Greek ceramics. It was an exercise not only in technique, but in authorship—in understanding what it means to make something that stands within a tradition while still bearing the mark of an individual hand.
This way of thinking continues to shape my work. Whether through illustration, painting, or storytelling, I am interested in art that carries its origins with it—art that quietly says, someone made me, and here is why.
(Images of the lekythos and detail views appear below.)
Wow, that is a nice work of art. It is also fun to get a little history lesson.