Stunning Mosaics Using Expired Pills Created by Greek Doctor

Stunning mosaics using only expired pills were created recently by Eleni Ioannidou, an infectious diseases specialist and the director of the Pathology Clinic of Rethymno Hospital on the Greek island of Crete.

Despite the exhausting pace of Ioannidou’s normal work during the course of a day, the tireless physician decided to revive the art of creating mosaics.

Her original idea, however, dates back to 2008 when Ioannidou operated a social pharmacy as a volunteer which gave medication to those in financial need.

Back then, Ioannidou decided to spend some time creating mosaics out of unused and ready-to-be-trashed pills.

Spectacular mosaics from expired pills

The Greek doctor from the island of Crete had seen the multicolor patterns shaped by the drugs that were ready to be destroyed and decided to turn them into “tools of art.”

Looking back, this decision was probably one of her greatest moments. The reason is simple: Her works are spectacular!

The busy physician’s hobby ultimately became a great way of expressing her artistic side. It is a relaxing hobby for her as well and a way to send social messages to the public through her beautiful work.

In her Blogspot, Ioannidou notes that ”during the quarantine period, this occupation worked psychotherapeutically and offered me a great relief from the intensity of work, and it was creative and enjoyable at the same time.”

What are Mosaics?

A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass, or ceramic, which are held in place and cover a surface.

But with Ioannidou’s work, instead of stones or cut glass, she used expired drugs.

Mosaics, which are often used as floor and wall decoration, were particularly popular in the Ancient Roman world. They have a long history, starting in Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC.

Pebble mosaics were made in Tiryns in Mycenean Greece; and mosaics with patterns and pictures became widespread in classical times, both in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.

Early Christian basilicas from the 4th century onward were many times decorated with wall and ceiling mosaics.

Mosaic art flourished in the Byzantine Empire as well, from the 6th to the 15th centuries; that tradition was adopted by the Norman Kingdom of Sicily in the 12th century, by the eastern-influenced Republic of Venice, and among the Russians in Ukraine.

This beautiful artistic technique fell out of fashion in the Renaissance, although artists like Raphael continued to practice the ancient technique.