Yorgos Efthymiadis:
THE FIRST ONES IN LINE

January 8 – February 28, 2027
Opening Reception: Friday, January 8, 2027, 5-8pm

From the Artist:
Before I immigrated to the United States and became a photographer, I worked in Greece in the service industry for over ten years. By coincidence I remain connected to the service industry here in Boston since my partner is an organizing director with Local 26, the Boston Local of Unite Here, the hotel and food service workers’ union. Over the years, I have walked on many strikes and rallies, alongside housekeepers, doormen, cooks, waiters and dishwashers fighting for better pay and dignity on the job. I developed a relationship with many of them. We shared meals together, went to parties and cookouts.

Generations of photographers have captured compassionate portraits of workers nobly toiling in uniform, or on the picket line heraldically giving speeches. I want to showcase a unique perspective — their individuality. I strive to portray the quiet parts: the workers in their homes, how they live, with their families, in a way that perhaps the workers themselves would like to be seen, celebrating their strength, pride and humanity.

Each one of them has overcome incredible obstacles to come to this country and provide a better life for their families. They work endlessly, sometimes double shifts, seven days a week. They are told to follow orders, to not talk back. The worker’s job in the hospitality industry is to be invisible. But in the face of injustice they choose to become visible through going on strike. They are willing to take huge risks and lead their coworkers into struggle.

“The First Ones In Line” are unionized workers who, instead of retreating, decide now, more than ever, that they must be out in front. They are the best of fighters. They are irascible, brilliant, charismatic. They challenge authority, lead their coworkers out on strike, and refuse to take no for an answer. Most importantly, they know how to bring people together.

About the Artist:
Yorgos Efthymiadis is a Greek-born visual artist and independent curator based in Boston. He is a 2025 Foster Prize winner (ICA/Boston) and a 2025 Warhol Foundation Collective Futures Fund recipient, as well as a two-time Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellow (2025, 2017). He was represented by Gallery Kayafas until its 2024 closure.

In 2015, he founded The Curated Fridge, a photography project run from his own kitchen connecting photographers with curators and gallerists worldwide through free, quarterly juried calls. Over 11 years, it has featured more than 1,500 artists across 45 shows.