NICOLAOS HADJIKYRIAKOS-GHIKA (1906-1994)

Born in Athens, Nicolaos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika worked already since his school boyhood at the workshop of Costas Parthenis (1919-1920) and continued his studies in Paris, at the Janson de Sailly Lyceum (1921-1922).  In 1922 he followed lessons on Greek and French literature at the Sorbonne while at the same time he was working at the Ranson Academy in the class of painting with Roger Bissière and etching with Dimitris Galanis.  Since then and until 1934 he lived in Paris realizing regular visits to Greece.  He had his first one-man exhibition in Paris (1927), although since 1923, at the age of 17,  had already participated to group shows to be followed by other solo and group exhibitions in Greece and abroad.  He has designed the stage scenery and costumes for many theater performances in Athens, Paris and London and has illustrated a number of books.  He has also written many articles on art and has given a series of lectures on the subject.  He has been, as well, the co-publisher of art magazine "To 3o Mati" [The 3rd Eye"] (1935) and the founder of the art group "Armos" [The Joint] (1949).  In 1941 he was elected professor at the Architectural School of the Polytechnic School of Athens, where he taught design and composition until 1958.  In 1970 he was awarded the Fine Arts Merit Prize of the Academy of Athens and in 1973 he was unanimously elected one of its regular members.  In 1985 he was elected honorary member of the Royal Academy of Arts (London) as well.  In 1991 he created his namesake Gallery at his apartment in down town Athens, which he donated to the Benaki Museum.  He was one of the modernizers of the contemporary Greek art.  Late cubist tendencies and a distinct personal style characterize his work.  Nicolaos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika passed away in Athens (1994).

P.D.Cangelaris, Reflections upon Greek Contemporary Painting, The Cangelaris Collection, vol.1, Athens 1991