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PARIS PREKAS (Greece, Athens 1926-1999 / act: Athens) |
Paris-Alexandros Prekas was born on 20 March 1926, in Athens, Greece. He studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1952) under Umbertos Argyros, Dimitrios Biskinis, and Andreas Georgiadis. In 1963 he received a scholarship from the French government to study at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France.Paris Prekas received the following prizes: Diploma Examinations, Athens School of Fine Arts (1952); Painting Prize, Salon d'Art Libre, Paris, France (1957); 1st Painting Prize, Techni Gallery, Athens (1958); Painting Prize, Salon d'Art Libre, Paris, France (1959); Silver Medal of the City of Paris, Salon d'Art Libre, Paris (1962).
Paris Prekas presented the following personal exhibitions: Landscapes & Trains, Zachariou Gallery (1955); Florence, Amsterdam, Paris, Hydra, Zygos Gallery, Athens (1958); White Sails, New Forms Gallery (1964); Horses, Masks, Icarus and Chastity Belts, New Forms Gallery (1972); Parallel Lives - Plutarch, Cycle 3 , Athens Art Gallery, Athens (1977); Paris Prekas, 1st Cretan Festival of Visual Arts, Old Harbor, Rethymno (1977); Victors and Vanquished, Association of Macedonia, Thessaloniki (1979); Tankers, Cycle I, Athens Art Gallery (1980); Tankers, Cycle II, Athens Art Gallery (1983); Mani, Yakinthos Gallery (1984); Paris Prekas Retrospective Exhibition, I. Katsigras Museum, Larissa Town Hall (1984); Paris Prekas Retrospective Exhibition, Herakleio Art Gallery, Crete (1985); Paris Prekas, Mylonogiannis Art Gallery, Chania, Crete (1985); The Portrait of Cyclades, Ekfrasi Gallery, Glyfada (1985); Vivre la Grèce: A Tour of Greece through Watercolors of Paris Prekas, Annecy City Cultural Centre, France (1986); Paris Prekas Personal Exhibition, KNE-Odigitis Festival, Kessariani Park, Athens (1987); Our Wanderings led us at Last to Rhegium, Athens Art Gallery (1989); Paris Prekas Retrospective Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, Cultural Centre of Nice University, France (1989); Paris Prekas Retrospective Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, Anni Balta Gallery, Thessaloniki (1992); Tour of Northern Greece, Mati Gallery, Katerini (1993); Tribute to Cyprus, Argo Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus (1994); Santorini, Gyzi Megaron, Fira, Santorini (1994); Santorini, Yakinthos Gallery, Kifissia (1994); Paris Prekas Retrospective Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, Ellinogermaniki Agogi, Kifissia (1996); My Voyage, Art Athina #5, Argo Gallery, Athens Exhibition Centre (1997); and My Voyage - Painting and Book Presentation, Argo Gallery, Athens (1998).
Paris Prekas has also represented Greece in the following biennials: White Sails, I Biennale of Young Painters, Paris (1959); Atreidae, VII Biennale of Sao Paolo, Brazil (1965); and Cycladic Compositions, VIII Biennale of Alexandria (1968). Paris Prekas has also taken part in the following group exhibitions: Pan-Hellenic Art Exhibitions of the Ministry of Education. Zappeion Conference Centre, Piraeus Port Authority Exhibition Hall (1952-1977); Young Artists of the Near East, Carnegie Endowment International Centre, New York (1956); Salon de l'Art Libre. Palais des Beaux-Arts de la V ille de Paris (1957-1965); Greek Painting. Techni Gallery, Athens (1959); 2nd Salon of Young Painters, Galerie Zygos, Athens (1959); Quantas Exhibition, New Forms Gallery, London (1965); Sofia, Bulgaria (1966); Contemporary Paintings from Greece, Ateneul Gallery, Bucharest (1969); The Artist - The Object, New Forms Gallery, Athens (1969); Waldorf Astoria International Exhibition, New York (1969); Expo '70, Greek Pavilion, Osaka, Japan (1970); Argo Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus (1970); Greek Art Today, Upper Grosvenor Galleries, London and Cyprus (1971); Three Greek Painters, Ateneul Gallery, Bucharest (1973); Tapisseries '73, New Forms & Argo Galleries, Nicosia, Cyprus (1973); Tribute to Cyprus, Argo Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus (1974); Greek Painters of the 20 th Century: The New Generation - 1926-1930, "Techni" Macedonian Art Association of Thessaloniki (1975); Tapisseries, New Forms Gallery, Basle, Switzerland (1976); Panorama of Greek Painting of the Last 25 Years, Ostwall Museum, Dortmund, Germany (1976); Museum of the Arts, Bucharest (1977); Paintings of the Inter-War Generation, Demetria Festival, "Techni" Macedonian Art Association (1977); Figures and Creative Artists in Modern Greek Painting, "Techni" Macedonian Art Association of Thessaloniki - Thessaloniki, Serres, Drama, Alexandroupoli, Verria, Katerini, Yannitsa, Argos Orestiko (1977-1978); Greek Painters, Stuttgart, Germany (1978); Avge Festival, Athens (1978); Greek Painters Exhibition, Palais des Arts, Cairo (1978-1979); 1st Exhibition of Sculpture, Municipality of Faliro, Athens (1979); 2nd Exhibition of Sculpture, Municipality of Faliro (1981); Salon Comparaisons, Grand Palais, Paris (1982); Modern Greek Prints. The Fine Arts Society, London (1983); The Physiognomy of Post-War Art in Greece: Expressionism, Surrealism, New Forms Gallery, Athens, Rhodes Municipal Art Gallery (1983); Artistic Exchanges, Internationales Kulturzentrum, Vienna (1983); Annual Exhibition, Zygos Gallery, Athens (1983); Contemporary Greek Art, Argo Gallery, Churchill Hall, Hilton, Nicosia, Cyprus (1983-1989); Grecia y Federico Garcias Lorca, Casa Museo Federico Garcias Lorca, Granada, Spain (1984); Black-White, Syllogi Art Gallery, Athens (1984); Painter and Hydra, School of Fine Arts, Hydra Island (1984); Greece and the Sea, Piraeus Port Authority Exhibition Hall (1984); Tradition and the Avant-Garde Greek Art from the Pieridis Gallery, Thessaloniki International Trade Fair (1984); Works from Contemporary Trends in Modern Greek Painting from the Pieridis Gallery, Thessaloniki International Trade Fair (1986); 50 years of the Institut Français in Athens: 22 Greek Holders of French Government Scholarships, Institut Français of Athens and the Athens Municipal Cultural Centre (1988); Tradition and the Avant-Garde in Greek Art from the Pieridis Gallery, Papastrateios Municipal Library, Art Gallery, Agrinio (1988); Twelve Greek Painters Paint Together , Headquarters of the Credit Bank, Athens ( 1988 ); 15 Years of Amnesty International in Greece, House of Cyprus, Athens (1990); The Sea in Greek Painting: the 19th and the 20th Centuries , New Forms Gallery, Athens (1993); Art Athina #1, Argo Gallery, Athens Exhibition Centre (1993); Wreath of Spring Flowers, Art Gallery of the Athens Municipal Cultural Centre (1995); The Revelation of John: Contemporary Visual Art Approaches, Aenaon International Centre for the Visual Arts - Patmos Island & Athens (1995); Modern Greek Painters and Traditional Architecture, Aenaon International Centre for the Visual Arts, Athens (1995); The Sea-Battles of the Greeks, Greek Navy General Staff, Battleship Averoff, Piraeus (1996); The Cyclades: A Contemporary Itinerary in the Visual Arts, Aenaon International Centre for the Visual Arts - Santorini, Amorgos, Mykonos, Paros, Patmos, Andros, Naxos, Syros (1996); Ecce Homo, Artists without Frontiers, International Bio politics Organisation, Municipality of Athens and the United Nations Organisation - Gazi, Athens (1996); Contemporary Greek Art, Festival of Logos and Art, Lefkada Municipality, Lefkada Island (1997); The Olive Tree in the Past and the Future, P. & M. Kidonieos Foundation, Andros Island (1999); The Sea, Piraeus Port Authority, Piraeus (2000); When Gods are Celebrating, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Olympia (2000); The Greek Light in the Contemporary Greek Art, Melina Merkouri Cultural Center, Athens (2000); Exhibition Sacred to Paris Prekas, N. Perantinos Museum. Parikia, Paros Island (2000); Classical Memories in Modern Greek Art, Onasis Cultural Center, New York (2000); The Aegean Sea in Literature & Art, Aegean Sea Ministry & Lexi Magazine, Mytilene, Lesbos Island (2000); Hydra: Visual Art Impressions, Alpha Bank, The N. Goulandris Museum of N atural History. Museum of Hydra - Hydra Island (2002); Classical Memories in Modern Greek Art, National Gallery & Museum of Konstantinoupolis, Attaturk Cultural Centre, Turkey (2003); Visual Art & Literary Parallels, Aenaon International Centre of Visual Arts & Cultural Centre of Aegina, Markello's Tower, Aegina Island (2003); The Harbors of Hellenism, Aenaon International Centre of Visual Arts, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki (2005); and Giants of the Sea: the Tankers of Paris Prekas, Fine Arts Kapopoulos Art Gallery, Athens (2005).
Monumental works by Paris Prekas include the following: Thesseus and Ariadne & Sea Battle, fresco wall-painting, Amalia's Mansion, Athens (1959); In Search of a Rhythm, low marble relief, Building at 10 Xenofondos Street, Athens (1960); Horses, wall-painting, Building at 60 Plapouta Street, Athens (1962); The Iliad , low marble relief, Eleftheroudakis Building, K. Servias and Syntagma Square (1964); Time, 80 m² bronze relief, National Bank of Greece, Syntagma Square (1965); Pyrrhus and Dodona, 25 m² marble relief, Bank of Greece, Ioannina (1966); Icarus, bronze sculpture, Lemos Building, 1 Irodou Attikou Street, Athens (1972); Icarus, bronze sculpture, Building in Zografos, Athens (1972); Kinesis, stainless steel and iron sculpture, Fina Building, 265 Syngrou Avenue, Athens (1973); Breath of the Stone, 50 m² concrete and stone relief, New Wing of the Institut Français Building, 31 Sina Street, Athens (1974); Sundial, 2,70 m high bronze sculpture, D. Argyris residence, Nikiana, Lefkada, (1976); Mythistorema, high wood relief, Nausicaa Hotel, Astir Complex, Vouliagmeni (1979); Sundial, bronze sculpture, Vorres Museum, Peania (1981); and Horses, bronze and stone sculpture, Hertz Hellas Building (1985).
Artworks by Paris Prekas are kept at the following public collections: Air France, Athens; Alpha Bank, Athens. The American College of Greece; Annecy Town Hall, France; Art Gallery of Athens University; Art Gallery of the Greek Parliament; Bank of France; Bank of Greece; Battleship Averoff, Piraeus; Casa Museo Federico Garcias Lorca, Granada, Spain; Credit Bank; Ergo Bank; European Parliament, Brussels; Hellenic Republic - Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Hellenic Embassy, Washington, U.S.A.; Ioannina Municipal Gallery; Midland Bank; Kalamata Museum of Contemporary Art, Kalamata; Mortgage Bank; Museum of Art, Rethymnon, Crete; Municipal Art Gallery of Annecy, France. Museum of Cycladic Art - N. P. Goulandris Foundation; National Bank of Greece; National Gallery - Alexandros Soutzos Museum; Dimitris Pieridis, Nicosia, Cyprus; Tokyo Palace, Japan; and the Vorres Museum. Artworks of his are also kept in the following private collections: J. Aerny, Switzerland; J. Angelopoulos; Evan. Arfanis; D. Argyris, Canada; D. Aslanoglou; Evan. Bellonias; Milaux Chanois, Paris; G. Cleridis, Larnaka, Cyprus; Konst. Dekavalas; Ier. Delendas; J. Delendas; E. Fikiori; Nic. Garganas; A. Gertsos; Francois Godefroy, Paris, France; A. Hadzieleftheriadis; M. and L. Hamboulas, Cyprus; I. Ioannou; Rob. Jastram, U.S.A.; K. Kafopoulos; J. Kalligas; P. Kangelaris; Evan. Kapopoulos; Theot. Karatzas; Y. Karastamatis; Y. and O. Katakalidis; S. Konstantoglou; Ioan. Konstandoglou; A. Kouloukoundis, U.S.A; D. Lambadarios; Alex Lanaras; John Mc Taggart, London; J. Mandrou; P. Marchant; Amal. Megapanos; Ant. Moschakes; Y. Moustroufis; G. Mrikos; Ed. Lyon, France; Nikas; K. Nikolaou; F. and T. Papadopoulos, Cyprus; Anast. Papaligouras; N. Pateras, London; H. Perez; A. Petermiller; S. and H. Psarrou; J. Kostopoulos; S. Paleos; M. Siniosoglou; J. Papamichalakis; Y. and Irene Rayas; J. and N. Skender; A. Sherif, Zurich; K. Tarsatopoulos; S. Theotokis, Switzerland; J. Varvitsiotis; and Th. Venetsanos; S. Zoulias, New York.
Paris Prekas died on 1 November 1999 in Athens.
[Megakles Rogakos 03/2007]
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
SPITERIS, TONY Parallel Lives - Plutarch, Cycle 3 1977 Athens Art Gallery, Athens [Greek]
ILIOPOULOU-ROGAN, DORA [Greek] / WHITTON, BRYAN [English] Tankers, Cycle II 1983 Athens Art Gallery, Athens
SPITERIS, TONY Vivre la Grèce : A Tour of Greece through Watercolors of Paris Prekas 1986 Annecy City Cultural Centre, France [French]
PILICHOS, G.K. / MARANGOU, M. / KARAVIA, M. / MACHAS, M. / FILI, C. Our Wanderings Led Us at Last to Rhegium 1989 Athens Art Gallery, Athens [Greek]
ALEXIOU, NIKOS Paris Prekas 1994 Argo Gallery, Nicosia [Greek]
SEREZIS, COSTAS Paris Prekas: My Voyage 1999 Topio Publications, Athens
CHRISTOU, CHRYSANTHOS / LYDAKIS, STELIOS / GEORGOUSSOPOULOS, COSTAS The Greece of Paris Prekas 2001 Topio Publications, Athens
VLACHOS, MANOLIS Paris Prekas: The Magic of Watercolor 2003 Argo Gallery, Athens [Greek]
KOUROU, NOTA / LYDAKIS, STELIOS / ZIAS, NIKOS Paris Prekas: The Painter 2004 Aigokeros Gallery, Athens
KAMBOURIDIS, HARIS Giants of the Sea: The Tankers of Paris Prekas 2005 Fine Arts Kapopoulos, Athens
