Special Information for the Artist
Ilias Papanikolaou was born in Athens in 1974.
He studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts under Nikos Kessanlis. In his first solo exhibition in 1996 in Artio Gallery his installation of numerous match boxes was of constructivist nature with arte povera elements. In the two solo exhibitions that followed (in Zoumboulakis Galleries, 2000 and Titanium Gallery, 2006) Papanikolaou enriched and extended his problematic-conceptually and semantically-in artworks-constructions using cigarettes, and in colourful collages and objects.
In 2006 makes a shift and goes to painting without missing on minimalist touch in his compositions. Varied figures and motives, spot colours and etching-like brushstrokes, Papanikolaou combines and transforms elements from ancient painting (lekythoi, Pompeian wall paintings), the byzantine icon stratigraphy, the Shadow Theatre, painting by Matisse, Cezanne, Dufy, Chagall and the japanese estampes, Papanikolaou unravels a new, personal "Dream City".
Solo Exhibitions
2011 Cube Gallery, Patras
2011 Melanythros, Athens
2009 Astrolavos, Athens
2006 Titanium Gallery, Athens
2000 Zoumboulakis Galleries, Athens
1996 Artio, Athens
He has also participated in numerous important group exhibitions (for example: The Crisis and Beyond in Hellenic Centre of London), auctions and art actions.
His works can be found in private collections, museums and corporate collections, such as Municipal Gallery of Patras, Municipal Gallery of Kalamata, Athens School of Fine Arts, the American College in Greece, Heineken Company, Kapelouzos Museum, Vorres Museum, Sotiris Felios Collection, Oliver Stone Collection, Logothetis Collection, Drakos Collection, Karelias Collection and others.
Elias Papanikolaou lives and works in Athens.
