Stelios Votsis
Stelios Votsis (Greek: Στέλιος Βότσης 21 November 1929 – 9 November 2012) was a Cypriot artist, one of the leading figures of modern art on the island, a co-founder of the Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts and its one-time president.[1][2] His style was best characterized as ‘structural abstraction’,[3] he worked in painting and drawing.
Early life and education
Born in
Career
He returned to Cyprus the same year and co-founded the Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts. Together with a number of other pioneering artists he was instrumental in introducing modern art to Cyprus.[1] He represented the island nation on the international stage in various exhibitions including:[4]
- The Venice Biennale
- The Biennale of Alexandria
- The Triennale of India
- The São Paulo Biennial
- The Biennial of Graphic Arts in Buenos Aires-Argentina
- The International Exhibition of New Artists in New York
- The International Biennial of Graphic Arts in Fredrikstad Norway
- The International Exhibition of Graphic Arts in Frechen Germany
- The International Exhibition of Graphic Arts (Gallery Du Bois) in Pennsylvania
- The Brussels Biennale
His paintings can be found in a number of collections including the
Votsis was awarded the Ruskin prize in drawing and the bronze medal in the European prize for painting contest which was held in Ostend-Belgium in 1973.[4] For his contributions to the culture of Cyprus he was awarded an Annual Honorary Grant by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Cyprus.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Hekkers, Melissa (16–22 November 2012). "Stelios Votsis 1929-2012" (PDF). The Cyprus Weekly. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ a b c d Paraskos, Stass (22 November 2012). "Stelios Votsis obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ISSN 1650-3740.
- ^ a b Pattichis, Nicos. "Stelios Votsis". Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ Michael Paraskos, 'The Anarchists', in Stelios Votsis and Stass Paraskos, The Anarchists [exhibition catalogue] (Nicosia: En Tiris, 2007) p.7