Argyris Constantinou
Argyris Constantinou was born in Limassol, Cyprus. Primarily he studied Graphic Design at Doxiades School on a scholarship. Following that, he studied Painting at the School of Fine Arts of the University of Athens, again on a scholarship, where he also attended etching workshops. He graduated with honours in 1989. The main preoccupation in Argyri’s work is the reference to the way memory works. Through his ‘brides’, with which he worked for ten years, he put his own mark on both contemporary Cypriot art, and the broader Greek art.
With regards to his work “Memories of Innocence”, exhibited in Gloria Gallery (Lefkosia) in 2003, Mr. Giorgos Georgis wrote, “Argyris is an artist who is deeply troubled, particularly sensitive and in constant quest for form and colour composition. Nothing is simple or superficial in his art. His work stems from deep memories; reminiscence embedded in time capsules. Markets, weddings and brides, still-lives, toys from different epochs, his whole work is about visible tell tale reflections of a particular scene or moment from the past, and most notably the functional memory, which is a conduit of recollection of images from the past.”
His main subject matters consist of landscapes, figures, nudes, brides, memories of innocence, watercolours and markets. Even though aquarelle constitutes only a segment of his oeuvre, Argyris has given us excellent (mostly still-life) watercolours, where the primary intention has been the exploration of the nature and colouristic possibilities of the medium.
Main Solo Shows
Cyprus Embassy, Athens
The House of Cyprus, Athens
Peter’s Gallery, Lemesos
Maria Papadopoulou Art Hall, Athens
Gloria Gallery, Lefkosia
Derynia Municipal “Occupied Famagusta Cultural Centre
Group Exhibitions
Pancyprian Exhibitions of the Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts (E.K.A.T.E), Famagusta Gate, Lefkosia
Hydra for the 150th anniversary of the Athens School of Fine Arts
Athens School of Fine Arts Graduates’ Exhibition, National Foundation of Research and Athens Conservatory
Cyprus Days Summer ’89, Athens Cypriot Scientists Collection, The House of Cyprus, Athens
Demokritio University, Thrace
Athens School of Fine Arts Graduates’ Exhibition, Hydra Branch
Contemporary Cypriot Art, Athens Municipality Intellectual Centre, Athens
Five Young Artists, Maria Papadopoulou Art Hall, Athens
1st Festival of the Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts (E.K.A.T.E), Lefkosia
“White – Blue”, Lemesos Municipal Gallery
“Sky – Sea”, Lemesos Municipal Gallery
Twelve Cypriot Artists, Ioannina Municipality, Gloria Gallery, Ioannina
“100 Years of Cypriot Art”, New generation artists, Larnaca Municipal Gallery
Michael Zambela’s Collection, Famagusta Gate, Lefkosia
Collections
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Athens
The House of Cyprus, Athens
Lemesos Municipal Gallery
Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Lefkosia
Michalakis Zambelas