Huile sur toile 25 cm x 35 cm Oil on canvas signed lower left
Sarandis Karavousis (Greece, Athens 1938-2011 Paris) the finest representative of contemporary Greek metaphysical painting, which is distinguished by a pervasive sense of mystery, enigma and the powerful persistence of memory. Sarandis Karavousis was born on 10 October 1938 in Athens, Greece. He enrolled at the Athens School of Fine Arts - ASFA (1959 1963) to study fresco painting with Yannis Moralis. With support from the Greek State Scholarship Foundation - IKY, based on his award for his stage design for the Popular Ballet of the State Theater of Northern Greece, he travelled all over Greece in order to study the Greek art from antiquity until today (1966-1967). Subsequently, with a scholarship from the French government he continued his studies in Paris at the École Nationale des Beaux Arts (1967-1968), the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Sorbonne (1969-1972) and the École du Louvre (1972-1974). At the same time he was engaged in stage scenery designing and the illustration of books and in 1966 he taught design at the Center for Technological Applications, Athens. In 1984 Karavousis was awarded the Drouant-Cartier prize. Sarandis Karavousis presented the following personal exhibitions: Ora Cultural Center, Athens (1971, 1976); Galerie Koar, Paris (1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1997); Zygos Art Gallery, Athens (1978), Drouant-Cartier, Paris (1984); Yakinthos Gallery, Kifissia (1984); Municipal Gallery of Rhodes (1984); Vafopouleio Cultural Center, Thessaloniki (1990), Municipal Gallery of Patras (1994); Reliks, Thessaloniki (1994), Astrolavos, Piraeus (1994); House of Cyprus, Athens (1996); Museum of the City of Athens Vouros-Eftaxias (1996), C. Gounaropoulos Museum, Athens (1997); Art Gallery of the Cyclades, Syros (1997); Institut Français , Piraeus (1997). He has also taken part in the following group exhibitions: Greek, Athens (1965, 1967, 1975); Le Salon Comparaison, Paris (1974-1990); Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris (1975-1987); Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain - FIAC , Paris (1977, 1978); São Paulo Biennial, Brazil (1979); European Biennial of Architecture, Baden-Baden, Germany (1981); Graphic Arts Triennial, Samalie, France (1988); La Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris (1990); Galerie Art & Patrimoine, Paris (1993); Aenaon Art Gallery, Neo Psychiko, Athens (1994). Artworks by Karavousis are kept at the following institutions: The American College of Greece, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, National Gallery - Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Museum of Basil and Elise Goulandris, Mouze nt'Ar Montern Paris; Kouvoutsakis Art Institue; La Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris; National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation; Hellenic Ministry of Education. Sarandis Karavousis is a member of the Greek Chamber of Fine Arts - EETE and Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. Since 1967 he divided his time between Paris and Athens. He passed away on 27 April 2011 at the age of 72 years.
