AN INAUGURAL OPENING OF THE FORMER RESIDENCE AND STUDIO OF GREEK ARTIST ALEKOS FASSIANOS
ISLAND OF KEA, GREECE
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…He found himself in Kea within the spring of 1967. A place still virginal, filled with history. With immediacy, he fell in love with the island’s Chora, ‘Ioulida’, for its picturesque and historical site. The locals embraced him and a friendship began amongst them after discussions on the commonplace, their habits, and their work – It was one of the few Cycladic islands with fertile stretches of land, livestock, and tanneries... even an enamel factory! It was self-sufficient. He liked that.
He bought a small house typical of Cycladic architecture – with rich curves dressed in white asbestos, a traditional roof, and with a vista of the Aegean from the small windows.
He would go there in the summers, upon his return from the rain-drenched Paris, so he may enjoy the Cycladic sun, which he loved...He would go there to paint, to cook the fish (of those he caught), to be a host to his friends and admirers who wanted to view him in the act of creation…at times painted works, at times functional objects, toys, sculptures, and anything else with the simplest of materials. He was continuously enthused by something within his ‘nest’; in this homely place, where, when tired and in need of a rest, he would lie down on the lithe, small bed with woven linens. He was humble, simple – in the same way as his spaces. Everything at once…from the furniture to the curtain rod…of his hand. His identity revealing itself everywhere. The grandeur of his creativity – the majesty – that leaves his personal mark to eternity. Translated from Greek by Katerina Papanikolopoulos; Original text by Mariza Fassianou.
With the kind support of the Municipality of Kea | Hospitality Partner: Aigis Suites
Alekos Fassianos in front of the ‘Pantopoleion’ in Kea, Greece - 1987. Courtesy of The Alekos Fassianos Estate and Maria Karavia
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Since July 2023, the Atelier is now open by appointment, for further details please vist alekosfassianos.gr.
For Press Inquiries, Interviews, and Invitations:
Katerina Papanikolopoulos, Founder
Co-organized by Athens Design Forum and The Alekos Fassianos Estate, the inaugural opening of the late artist's former summer atelier is an intimate example of cliff-built architecture surrounded by caper blossoms. A hideaway for the literati of the era - it has hosted artists such as Yannis Tsarouchis and luminary Louis Aragon. Welcoming over 300 guests to the island of Kea, Greece, mementoes of the artist permeated all surfaces, extracting the natural world’s elements into the interior.
“The low ceilings and humble curves are exemplary of Cycladic architecture. The mustard-yellow fixtures of the house shown in the textiles and door frames attract the sun that so permeated the life of Alekos Fassianos. An avid fisherman, the island of Kea served as an immaculate escape from the rain-drenched winters spent in Paris. Amongst materials such as ceramics, aluminum, iron, and cloth – an imagined, tactile world is presented in the former atelier that encompasses a life-long journey into the praxis of craftsmanship.”
- Katerina Papanikolopoulos, Founder of Athens Design Forum
Images courtesy Athens Design Forum
