Biography: Apostolos Fanakidis

The sculptor Apostolos Fanakidis was born in 1945 at Evros (Northern Greece), and he lives and works in Athens. After the Greek Civil War, his family moved to Budapest until the events of 1956, when they settled in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Early Years and Studies

There, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in the Monumental Sculpture department, from 1967 to 1972. Even though he received a highly academic education, he created the first abstract modern sculpture to be placed in one of Sofia’s central squares. He moved back to Greece in 1978, where he integrated the immaterial element and the light of the Attica sky into his works.

The Artistic Path of Apostolos Fanakidis

Several exhibitions and major prizes followed in Greece, France, the Netherlands, and the USA. In 1981, he represented Greece at the Biennale of Budapest, where he won one of the 1st prizes. In 1988, he won the National Competition of the Greek Ministry of Culture. Later, in 2005, he created the Monument in memory of the 200 Patriots executed by the Nazis during WWII, which is still considered the most important national monument of the 20th century.

Artistic Style and Museums

Apostolos Fanakidis‘ works are characterised by expressionistic intensity. The artist focuses on the evolution of the human being, where the body is represented naked, stripped of its religious and ideological “myths”. His oversized “Feet” underline his desire to link the real field with illusion. His “Giacometti Head” is a tribute to the Swiss sculptor, one of his key artistic references.

The period 2000-2010 opened another creative era, where the neon light escaping from within his coal constructions developed a different inner topography through the sharp darkness of an endless scene. The impact of his “Space landscapes” is indeed highly effective. His works are found in important museums of Modern Art, major galleries, institutional and individual collections throughout Europe and the USA, as well as in public spaces in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, the Netherlands, and the USA.