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Yiannis Koutsouris

Yiannis Koutsouris CV

Yiannis Koutsouris was born in Aliartos, Boeotia, Greece in 1944. He studied in the ATI Doxiades School with teachers A. Tassos, A. Asteriadis, I. Dekoulakos, G. Georgiadis, S. Lydakis and during the same time for three years he was also a student and a helper-mate at the studio of Spyros Vasiliou. During his studies and by the end of the 60’s, he was engaged in painting, caricature- cartoon drawing and the illustration of children’s books and magazines, while his main activity for almost 30 years remained the creation- making of animation films with thw “Kounoupi” (greek for mosquito) and “Kouak” companies.

Since 2000 he is exclusively engaged in painting and sculpture. He has been a member of the Chamber of Plastic Arts of Greece (EETE) since 1973.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2OO4 “PRISMA” Art Gallery, Livadia.
2OO5 «Titanium Yiayannos Gallery», Athens (sculpture).
2OO6 “Fine Arts Kapopoulos” Art Gallery, Alimos.
2O12 «Titanium Yiayiannos Gallery», Athens

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

Since 1966 and until today he has taken part in 3 Pan-Hellenic and in more than 30 group exhibitions.

DISTINCTIONS

1973 1st Prize in painting in the 5th Pan-Hellenic Painting Competition for young people.
1973  1st Prize in illustration of children’s books by the Children’s Books Cycle.
19731st Prize of short films in the 14th Film Festival in Thessaloniki and international prize for the same short film in 1974 in the animation film festival in Zagreb.

198O One of the ten equivalent prizes in sketching in the world  cartoon-caricature exhibition under the title “Energy Crisis”.

His works can be found in the National Bank, the Ministry of Presidency, the Museum of the city of Athens, the Municipal Art Galleries in Ptolemaida and Syros as well as a lot of private collections in Greece and abroad.

Available works

Critical Notes

By Dora Iliopoulou-Rogan, “Yannis Koutsouris – in the pulse of originally unorthodox-non conformist creatures”

For the last twelve years Koutsouris has again been involved in painting and sculpture, creating a totally personal and therefore substantial “society” of imaginary creatures and objects. From the recognizable, semi-schematic landscapes of his previous work which carried the element of repeal, Koutsouris has now moved on to a more dynamic transgression of his potentials in order to offer us a work of art “an oasis for sore eyes”  in terms of colour and inspiration. A work of art that only from the point of view of a protocol seems to respond to the orders of surrealism, since  in this case the unrestrained imagination, the originally poetic inspiration of the artist, in short his intense personality weakens every classification and interrelation-connection.

The  known – unknown creatures of his previous work, by stimulating creatively our imagination and psychism with their distinctive enigma, persuade us through their dynamism for the authenticity of their substance and presence. A presence that reveals a microcosm in its own macrocosm, a microcosm that represents the energy of the universe. Here, by definition the two-dimensional form of composition  is indeed abolished, so that a “three-dimensional” space emerges thanks to the exquisite mobility of what the artist experiences through his imagination and psychism.

In contrast to every prosy description, Koutsouris’ works of art start a meaningful dialogue with us. A dialogue that makes a strong impression inside us, resistant to time. However, the point that the artist exceeds himself are the sketches with pencil, where, despite the lack of colours that characterize his compositions with acrylic, we meet a sublime dynamics and a pulse which  are everywhere present and thus occupy the space. These sketches betray a talented creator, as they are exquisite in inspiration.

(“Newsreel”, issue 127, 2010)

 (Photos of  Yiannis Koutsouris:  2013 © Fotis K. Sotiropoulos)