Lefteris ECONOMOU (Cypriot, 1930-2007).
Lefteris Economou was born in Frenaros in 1930.
He studied painting in London at St Martins School of Art (1949-1950), at the School of Art John Cass (1950-1954), and the Goldsmiths College, University of London (1954-1955). After his return to Cyprus (1955), he was appointed an art teacher in secondary education.
Economou first appeared on the art scene around 1952. His subject matter includes landscape, still life and portraiture with impressionist and post-impressionist influences. In some cases, he also used elements of neo-impressionism, combined with decorative features.
In portraiture, he remained faithful to the conquests of realism and in some cases his painting reached psychological analysis. Interiors and nudes, often idealized and again combined with decorative elements, conveyed to the spectator a unique atmosphere feeling.
In some of his works from the 1985-1990 period, he proceeds to a mixed morph-plastic vocabulary that combined stylization and idealistic elements, biomorphic and geometric themes, linear and colour formulations.
He also engaged in engraving on large surfaces, which is interesting for the sharpness and quality of the drawing.
His work is in many public and private collections in Cyprus. Notably at the State Gallery of Contemporary Cypriot Art, the Limassol Municipal Gallery, the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Centre Foundation, the Central Bank of Cyprus Art Collection, the Leventis Gallery and the Archbishop Makarios III Foundation-Cultural Centre.
