Skourtis Angelos (1949)

He was born in Patras in 1949. At first he studied painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy (1973-8), and completed his studies with courses of mass media under the author and theorist, Pio Baldelli. He presented his first solo show in Athens in 1980 (Nefeli Gallery).
The skills provided by his European artistic education and his familiarity with the international avant-garde movements led him to an initial experimentation with minimalism. Early on, since the ‘80s he presented spatial interventions-actions, through installations and performance (Desmos gallery, 1983). Later, he employed a black and white palette and a simplicity of forms combined with a symbolic language, introducing in his work three-dimensional constructions, without abandoning plastic values. He uses mixed media and various materials as space expansion tools (such as water, oil, cloth, coffee sediment, paint, etc.), since space itself is often a dominant element of performative function in his oeuvre. Especially after the ‘90s, he has been particularly interested in exploring the role of communication to the development of European culture to date.
He has presented many solo shows, mainly in Greece, and has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Greece, Cyprus, Germany, Italy and other European countries. In 1991 he won first prize in sculpture, when he represented Greece (along with Kourakis, Litti and Papadimitriou) at the Alexandria Biennale.