The iconic painter Giorgos Skoteinos, who in the last years of his life lived and created in Ayia Napa, "passed away" today at the age of 85.
Together with Christoforos Savvas, Andreas Chrysochos, Costas Ioakeim, Stelios Votsis and George Kyriakou, he represented Cyprus at the 34th Venice Biennale in 1968, in the country's first participation in the most important art event in the world.
His style, which moved between realism, abstraction and surrealism, is artistically recognizable because it carries his own personal style through thematic circles.
The painter, basically a surrealist, was deeply influenced by his birthplace, Cyprus, both by its ancient and long historical past and by its modern tragedy. However, during the two or so years he lived as a refugee in Crete after 1974, he was also influenced by the ancient Minoan culture, resulting in a series of similar paintings.
He was born in Limassol in 1937 but lived in Famagusta since he was young. He graduated from the Greek High School of Famagusta. He studied theater at the Drama School of the National Theater in Athens (1961-1964), while at the same time during the same period he attended courses at the Academy of Fine Arts. Between 1964-1967 he studied film at the Visual Artand Movie Subscription Group in New York. He also received a scholarship from the Ford Foundation to study Painting (1976 – 1977).
During the period of the armed liberation struggle (1955-1959) he was actively involved as a result of which he was arrested by the British and imprisoned in England.
After completing his studies he returned to Cyprus. Until 1974 he lived and worked in Famagusta. After the Turkish invasion and occupation of the city, in the summer of 1974, he wandered for a few years in exile and lived intermittently in Hydra, Crete, Athens and elsewhere. Later he returned to Cyprus and settled in Ayia Napa. He is professionally engaged in painting. Among other things, he has done large murals that decorate hotel rooms in the area of Ayia Napa, Paphos and elsewhere.
He appeared in the field of art since 1960, participating in group exhibitions. He organized his first solo exhibition in Famagusta in 1964. Since then he has exhibited in many solo exhibitions in Cyprus, New York, Tel Aviv, Edinburgh, Athens, Chania, Vienna, Basel, Moscow, Hamburg, etc. He also represented Cyprus in international art biennales and triennials (India, 1982, where he was distinguished, Paris, 1967, Alexandria, 1968, where he distinguished himself, Venice, 1968, India, 1969, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1969, etc.) .
In 2015 he was awarded the Excellence in Arts of the Republic of Cyprus.
His painting work can be divided into some major sections:
- Lithoseviia (1965-1974) with the subdivisions: Microcosm-Macrocosm (1965-1967), Metabolism (1967-1971) and Solstice (1971-1974).
- The Complaint Cycle (1974-1975), a series of large works from the tragic experience of 1974, the Turkish invasion and occupation, the war. The series of these works were exhibited both in Greece and in major European cities with success.
- Minoan Art (1975-1977). From 1977 onwards working on new modules:
- Walls,
- Wandering Statues (series of works where the ancient statues are transported to other places and mainly refugees from the occupied areas of Cyprus),
Vythos (series of marine works), - Reflections.
Karousos: "Agia Napa is poorer"
In his post, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works and former Mayor of Agia Napa, Yiannis Karousos, says about the great painter: "A star of the culture of Ayia Napa, who put his own little stone in upgrading the culture of the region and beyond, died today. Ayia Napa is poorer. Famagusta is poorer. Our culture is poorer."
George Skoteinos...
A star of the culture of Ayia Napa, who put his own little stone in upgrading the culture of the region and beyond, died today.
Ayia Napa is poorer.
Famagusta is poorer.
Our culture is poorer. pic.twitter.com/t2mDGjNOHL- Yiannis Karousos (@yianniskarousos) December 14, 2022
Famagusta.News, with information from Polignosi