15 |
Greek, 1928-2018
Self-portrait
ink on paper
signed lower right and dated 75 lower left
49 x 34 cm
framed
450 € | |
Stavros Papasavvas was born in Stavroupoli, Xanthi in 1928.
In 1945 he enrolled at the School of Fine Arts, Athens graduating in 1952 and then continued his studies in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.
Papasavvas experimented with a wide range of artistic considerations that presented the archetype as the starting point of creation, the reason for existence and destination. In his sculpture or mixed media paintings, the generative power of the archetype is contained in the expanding human volume that refers to the primary sources of fertility, complexion, the divine and the sculpture of Pablo Picasso.
In some works, the subject matter is completely lost, with the only remnant being the trace of a previous existence executed in an expressionistic manner.
In his drawings, the monumental archaism and the curvilinear laziness of the sculptural volumes are set in motion, the frantic rhythm which is reflected in the release of the line through automatic writing. His landscapes dealt with post-impressionist and fauvism idioms in traditional compositions.
He lived in France, Sweden and the USA where he taught sculpture at the Boston Museum School of Fine Art. In his later years, he divided his time between France, Switzerland and Greece.
Papasavvas held many international solo exhibitions such as at the British Council (1953); the Charlotenboree Palace, Copenhagen (1958); Swetzoff Gallery, Boston (1963); Gallery Cours Saint-Pierre, Geneva, (1979); Galerie de la Fondation Sophia Antipolis, France (1990) and participated in several prestigious group exhibitions such as the Panhellenic Exhibition (1960,1965); the Ceramics Biennale, Vallaouris (1978) and Art Basel, Basel (1980).
His work is found in public and private collections, notably: The Boston Museum and the Ministry of Culture of Greece.