Sarris Kyrillos (1950 - 2024)

He was born in 1950 in Nicosia, Cyprus. From an early age he studied under the Cypriot painters, Lefteris Economou and Telemachus Kanthos (1963-1969). He then studied Medicine at the University of Athens (1970-1976), and practices professionally oncology in Athens ever since.
His career as a visual artist begins with Notes, his first solo exhibition, (Nees Morfes gallery, 1986). At the same time he began participating in exhibitions of Visual Poetry. His works are usually presented as installations containing ‘notes’ (sketches, drawings, handwritten notes), constructions and video. The thematic content, morphological development and presentation of each section refer to the creation process of a book/artwork, which is offered to the reader/viewer as visual and intellectual stimulus.
The issue that preoccupies the artist is art’s communicative dysfunction within the current cultural reality. The critical approach to this problem from its theoretical perspective is combined with the actual artistic proposal. The contradictory elements which are inherent in such an endeavour, are being integrated into the artwork itself in a poetic manner, become part of its aesthetic aspect and enhance its expressive effect.
His activity as an artist and theorist extends to publishing, with book editing, prefaces, creative layout and design. Some of the books he has edited in collaboration with Agra publications are the following: Greek translation of Marcel Duchamp, Ingénieur du temps perdu. Entretiens avec Pierre Cabanne [Belfont, 1967 (1989, 2008)], [English title: Dialogues with Marcel Duchamp (Viking, 1971 & Da Capo, 1989)], Art in the age of risk and other essays by Nicolas Calas [1967 (1997)], Gallery Bernier (1998), etc. He has also given lectures at universities and has published essays on art.
He has presented solo exhibitions in Greece and Cyprus and has participated in several group exhibitions in Greece, Cyprus, France and Germany.