Nikos Hadjikyriakos

Nikos Hadjikyriakos - Ghikas

Nikos Hadjikyriakos - Ghikas in front of one of his oeuvres

Nikos Hadjikyriakos - Ghikas:
Verandah with Trellis, 1956

Nikos Hadjikyriakos - Ghikas (1906-1994)

In the "International Biographical Dictionary" (published in Greek by Ekdotiki Athinon), Nikos Hadjikyriakos - Ghikas is referenced as "painter, engraver, sculptor, iconographer and writer, a leading figure of 20th century Greek painting and art in general, member of the Hellenic Academy of Sciences".

An even elementary presentation of his work and of the role he played in modern Greek art history would require an extensive presentation. To avoid an insufficient presentation of an extraordinary and many-sided personality, we only provide a brief chronology:

1906 Nikos Hadjikyriakos - Ghikas was born in Athens.

1918-22 Still an adolescent, he studied painting.

1923 Left for Paris to study literature in Sorbonne University. He exhibited his early works at the Salon of the Independent and Super-Independent and for the first time drew the attention of art critics.

1924 He studied painting and engraving in the Academie Ranson. He travelled often to Italy, France and Greece.

1927 His first one-man exhibition took place at the Percier gallery in Paris. Picasso praised the work of the young Greek artist.

1928 He exhibited in Athens, at the Stratigopoulos gallery.

1933 He exhibited at the Vavin - Raspail gallery in Paris. He organized the 4th International Architecture Congress.

1934 He exhibited his paintings and sculptures at the Cahiers d' Art gallery in Paris, as well as in the International Fairs of Paris and Venice.

1935 He exhibited in Athens, at the "Atelier" gallery.

1935-37 With others he published the art review "3rd Eye"

1941 He was elected professor of free-hand drawing in the Architecture School of the Athens Technical University.

1946 A retrospective exhibition of his works took place at the hall of the British Council in Athens.

1950 He was selected to officially represent Greece in the Venice Biennale with 17 of his works.

1950-65 He exhibited his works in 12 one-man exhibitions in Athens, Paris, London, Berlin, Geneva and New York. He also worked in scene-painting in Greece and abroad and in illustrating books.

1968 Retrospective exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in London

1973 Retrospective exhibition at the National Gallery in Athens. He was unanimously elected member of the Athens Academy of Sciences.

1984 Retrospective exhibition of his sculptures at the "Third Eye" gallery in Athens

1986 He was elected member of the Royal Academy in London. The National Gallery in Athens inaugurated an exhibition hall bearing his name, where 46 of his oeuvres (donated by himself) would be in permanent exhibition (these works are not in display there anymore...)

1988 One-man exhibition at the Royal Academy in London

1994 He died in Athens.

Oeuvres of Nikos Hadjikyriakos - Ghikas can be found at the Modern Art Museum in Paris, at the Tate Gallery in London, at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, in the Museums of Cincinatti, Melbourne, Carcasson, Famagousta and in many private collections all over the World.

He was also member of the Academia Tiberiana in Rome and had received the title of Officier des Arts et des Lettres from the French government.