Agenor Asteriadis was born in Larissa in 1898. He studied painting at the School of Fine Arts in Athens under Georgios Roilos, Georgios Iakovidis, Spyros Vikatos, Pavlos Mathiopoulos and Nikolaos Lytras, from 1915 to 1921. In 1925 he was appointed art teacher at the Grevena Secondary School; and, from 1931 to 1936 freehand drawing at the Athens Crafts Society. From 1932 to 1940 he taught drawing at the Zanneio Orphanage in Piraeus and from 1933 to 1942 at the Greek House (Elliniko Spiti). He travelled around Greece, mainly in Thessaly and Macedonia, and found inspiration in the natural and architectural landscapes. He was also active in printmaking. He published many albums with his prints and won an award at the “Exposition internationale des Arts et Techniques” in Paris (1937). During the German occupation he published monotype prints with themes from folk songs. Active also in haghiography, he decorated churches, designed mosaics and portable icons and illustrated religious and literary books as well as school textbooks. He died in Athens in 1977.
Agenor Asteriadis
Works
Solo Exhibitions
2011
Retrospective exhibition•
Benaki Museum – Pireos Str. Building (138 Pireos St.)•
Athens•
(curated by Irene Orati)•
1998
Retrospective exhibition•
Larissa Art Center for Contemporary Art•
Larissa•
(curated by Andreas Giannoutsos and Irene Orati)•
1998
Retrospective exhibition•
Municipal Art Gallery of Patras•
Patras•
(curated by Irene Orati)•
1997
Retrospective exhibition•
City of Athens Cultural Centre•
Athens•
(curated by Irene Orati)•
1988
Retrospective exhibition•
Astrolavos Art Galleries•
Piraeus•
1987
Retrospective 1927-1967 •
Yakinthos Gallery•
Kifissia•
1985
Zygos Art Gallery•
Athens•
1985
Retrospective exhibition•
Yakinthos Gallery•
Kifissia•
1984
Municipal Gallery of Larissa - G.I. Katsigras Museum•
Larissa•
1983
Zygos Art Gallery•
Athens•
1981
Retrospective exhibition•
Zygos Art Gallery•
Athens•
1979
Rythmos Gallery•
Larissa•
1978
Retrospective exhibition•
Ora Art and Cultural Centre•
Athens•
1976
Retrospective exhibition•
National Gallery – Alexandros Soutsos Museum•
Athens•
1974
Ora Art and Cultural Centre•
Athens•
1970
Ora Art and Cultural Centre•
Athens•
1966
Olympia ocean liner•
1966
French Institute of Larissa•
Larissa•
1966
Lithographs, Linoleum Prints, Drawing Gum Drawings, Oil Paintings •
Zachariou Gallery•
Athens•
1962
66 Skoufa Gallery•
Athens•
1961
Retrospective exhibition•
Athens Technological Institute•
Athens•
1960
Palamedes Municipal Library•
Nafplion•
1959
Zygos Art Gallery•
Athens•
1956
Rotary Hall•
Larissa•
1951
Zachariou Gallery•
Athens•
1950
Katsilerou Gallery•
Athens•
1938
Hellenic Conservatory Hall•
Volos•
1934
Sapkas Gallery•
Larissa•
1930
Stratigopoulos Gallery•
Athens•
1927
Stratigopoulos Gallery•
Athens•
1925
Tsoukatos Gallery•
Volos•
1925
Hall of the Town Hall•
Larissa•
1923
Parnassos Literary Society•
Athens•
1921
Dafnopoulos Photographic Studio•
Larissa•
2011
1998
1998
1997
1988
1987
1985
1985
1984
1983
1981
1979
1978
1976
1974
1970
1966
1966
1966
1962
1961
1960
1959
1956
1951
1950
1938
1934
1930
1927
1925
1925
1923
1921
Press
[…]
Asteriadis’s apprenticeship in Greek tradition could not but have an impact on his more personal work. It is to the former that we can relate a certain proclivity of the painter’s for articulating historical landscapes in a contracted panoramic view, past the momentary impression they provide from a single point of view and beyond any perception of atmospheric painting. This mode of painting, whereby what is depicted is not what can be ‘seen’, but what the artist ‘knows’, is akin to the ‘popular perception’ of the world and, sometimes, the artistic expression of children. However, Asteriadis does not use this to seek the easy route of quaintness and naivety, but aims instead to create compositions that can be spread across a wall and hold firm. Asteriadis, in order to make his paintings, still needs the spectacle that nature provides him.
[…]
Manolis Hatzidakis