Eleftheria Deko

After her post-graduate studies (Master of Arts), in Lighting Design, Performance and choreography, with a scholarship at New York University (1987-1990), Eleftheria worked as a lighting designer in several theaters in New York until 1992, when she returned to Greece. She has designed since, the lighting of more than 350 plays, music and dance performances, operas and art installations, for which she has received great reviews while she has repeatedly been invited by international groups to design the lighting of dance performances in international festivals.

She has collaborated with most of the Greek theatrical companies and groups, and she has designed the lighting equipment installation for many theaters all over Greece. In 1997 she founded and still directs the commercial company “Lights International” which specializes in lighting (lighting design for shows, concerts and events, lighting equipment and design for the lighting installation for theaters, conference rooms, studios, etc.). Since 2001 she is also working in architectural lighting, making building facades attractive or revealing and highlighting their character. Her work has been described as a “minimal artistic statement, with light/color playing the key role”.

She has taught Stage Lighting design at New York University (1990-1992) as well as Stage Lighting design seminars for professionals and non professionals in Athens (1997-1999). Since January 2005 she has been teaching “Stage Lighting Design” at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Fine Arts, School of Drama. In April 2009 she was constituted Professor in the same school.

Important moment in her career was her participation in the Olympic Games Athens 2004 as Lighting Director and Lighting Designer of both Opening and Closing ceremonies. In September 2005, at the 57th ceremony, she was awarded by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with an EMMY award in the category of Outstanding Lighting Direction for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Athens 2004.