Savva was born in Marathovouno in 1924 and died in Sheffield in 1968. He served at the Cypriot Regiment during The Second World War. In 1947 he moved to London and studied at St. Martin’s School of Art and Heatherley’s School of Art. He returned to Cyprus in 1953, but in 1956 he left for Paris, where he studied at André Lhote Academy until 1959.

In 1955 he founded the “Art-Lovers’ Society” and in 1960, after his return to Cyprus, he co-founded Apophasis Gallery with Glyn Hughes, with the aim of launching contemporary art in Cyprus. This was housed in Sophocleous Street, where Savva lived, and exhibitions where held in the outside courtyard.

The same summer, when Cyprus gained independence, the gallery moved to Apollo Street, were Hughes and Savva exhibited their work and the work of other artists. Lectures and discussions were held with speakers like the great Russian film director, Sergei Bonderchuck. While with Hughes at Apophasis, Savva produced work influenced by the European avant-garde. The independence of Cyprus (1960) could not be a better time for creativity. This work is from this great period of modern Cypriot art.

He has shown his work in a number of solo exhibitions. In 1954 at the British Council Hall, Nicosia, in 1955, 1957, 1959 and 1960 at Ledra Palace Hotel, Nicosia, in 1956 at ‘Art-Lovers’ Society’, Nicosia, in 1958 at the Municipal Hall of Limassol, in 1961, 1962 and 1963 at Apophasis Gallery, in 1962 at Beirut and Municipal Hall of Paphos, in 1965 at Municipal Hall of Nicosia, in 1967 at Hilton Hotel, Nicosia and at Goethe Institute, Nicosia.

Savva took part in several group exhibitions: in 1958 at Mariac Gallery and Jordan Gallery, Paris, in 1960 in Beirut, in 1967 at The Panhellenic Exhibition, in 1968 at Venice Biennale, in 1962 in 'Art in the Commonwealth Today', The Commonwealth Institute, London, in 1970 in 'Contemporary Cypriot Art' at The Commonwealth Institute, London, in 1979 at 'Demetria' of Thessaloniki, and at 'Contemporary Cypriot Painting' at Athens National Gallery.

Quoting Glyn Hughes about this work:

'It seems that May and June were critical months for both of us, those early years of the independence.

I remember throwing a small piece of sacculla to him (Savva). It had a black circle on it that I made right there. He added it to his nice new composition…that he was making while talking to me about his travelling plans… on a piece of paper with the Apophasis letter head.

He used it and said to me firmly that the period of the saculles is over…. he was already somewhere else.
He put it in my bag so I would remember the end of that.'