Born in Athens in 1945, he studied Printmaking at the Athens School of Fine Arts on a scholarship (1963-1968) under Kostas Grammatopoulos. He pursued his studies for a postgraduate degree in Painting (1971-1975) at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, thanks to a German state exchange (D.A.A.D.) scholarship, a student of Hermann Kaspar and Karl Fred Dahmen. He was an Art Group A member (1960-1967), part of the art team working for the “Epitheorisi Technis” art magazine and a member of various art groups involved in political activities: he was a founding member of the New Greek Realists (1971-1973), the Figurative Arts Centre (1974-1976). In 1977 he settled in Berlin having accepted an invitation by the Art Programme of the city of West Berlin. In 1987 he moved to Brussels before eventually returning to Greece in 1993. In 1994 he was elected Professor of Painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts where he taught until 2012. He has published his writings on art and has illustrated poetry publications. He lives and works in Athens.
Jannis Psychopedis
Works
Solo Exhibitions
2026
Jannis Psychopedis: Landscapes of Memory. The Ones I Kept •
retrospective show•
Museum of B&E Goulandris Foundation•
Athens•
(cureted by Kyriakos Koutsomallis)•
2025
Palermo. People and Ruins •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
2024
Jannis Psychopedis: Heroes of 1821 •
National Gallery Nafplion Annex•
Nafplio•
(curated by Lambrini Karakourti-Orfanopoulou)•
2023
Janis Psychopedis: Artist's Books •
Hellenic American Union•
Athens•
(curated by Louisa Karapidaki)•
2019
Citronne Gallery•
Poros•
(curated by Tatiana Spinari-Pollali)•
2019
Archaeological Museum of Poros•
Poros•
(curated by Tatiana Spinari-Pollali and Maria Giannopoulou, organised by Citronne Gallery)•
2018
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
2017
Seferis in Pafos •
University of Neapolis Pafos•
Pafos•
(in the context of the “Pafos European Capital of Culture 2017” events)•
2015
Themelio Publications, Bookshop•
Athens•
2015
Biography •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
2014
Jannis Psychopedis: Byron in Kefalonia •
Benaki Museum – Central Building (Museum of Greek Culture)•
Athens•
(curated by Constantinos Papachristou)•
2014
Municipal Art Gallery of Agrinio•
Agrinio•
2013
Archaeological Museum of Patras•
Patras•
2013
National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation – Eynard Mansion•
Athens•
2013
Metaichmio Multi-Purpose Space•
Athens•
2012
Heinrich-Boll-Stiftung•
Berlin•
2011
The House of Cyprus•
Athens•
2011
Nostos •
Galerie Im Kornerpark•
Berlin•
2011
Et in Arcadia Ego •
Psari Village•
Stemnitsa•
2010
Citronne Gallery•
Poros•
2009
Polaroids 1977-2009 •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
(Athens Photo Festival)•
2008
Nostos •
Retrospective exhibition•
Museum of Cycladic Art•
Athens•
(curated by Takis Mavrotas)•
2007
Encounter with Kiki Dimoula •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
2007
Poésie de face •
Galerie Theorema•
Brussels•
2007
Rencontres •
ArtBase Gallery•
Brussels•
2006
Treffpunkt Griechenland •
Deutscher Ring•
Hamburg•
2006
118 Poets' Portraits •
Metaichmio Multi-Purpose Space•
Athens•
2005
House of Cyprus•
Athens•
2004
Eirini Metro Station•
Athens•
2003
Fragile Paintings •
Galerie im Kornerpark•
Berlin•
2003
Alphabet. 24+1 Letters •
European Parliament ASP Building, Ground Floor Espace Couloir•
Brussels•
2002
English Breakfast •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
2002
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
2001
The Letter That Did Not Arrive 1977-1996 •
Retrospective exhibition•
Cultural Center of Patras•
Patras•
2001
Faces •
Terracotta Art Gallery (TinT Gallery)•
Thessaloniki•
2001
Stone Flowers •
Hellenic Foundation for Culture•
Berlin•
2001
The Letter that Did Not Arrive 1977-1996 •
Retrospective exhibition•
National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation•
Thessaloniki•
2001
Et in Arcadia Ego •
Primary School of Psari•
Psari•
2000
Stone Flowers •
Melina Merkouri Cultural Centre•
Nicosia•
2000
Stone Flowers •
Galerie Basf•
Schwarzheide•
2000
Seferis Portraits •
Frankfurt•
1999
Reference to Goya •
House of Cyprus•
Athens•
(curated by Peggy Kounenaki)•
1999
Night and the City •
Tzamia-Krystalla Art Gallery•
Chania•
(curated by Peggy Kounenaki)•
1999
Polygnotos Art Gallery•
Heraklion•
1998
Face Control •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
1998
Ploes IV: Crossings •
Petros and Marika Kydoniefs Foundation•
Andros•
(curated by Athena Schina)•
1997
House of Cyprus•
Athens•
1997
Nights in August •
Terracotta Art Gallery (TinT Gallery)•
Thessaloniki•
1997
Espace Périple•
Brussels•
1996
History Lessons, the Lower Parts •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
1996
Tribute to Dimitris Mitropoulos •
The Athens Concert Hall•
Athens•
1995
Retrospect 1962-1995 •
Retrospective exhibition•
Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art (MOMus – Museum of Contemporary Art)•
Thessaloniki•
1995
Galerie am Savignyplatz•
Berlin•
1995
Morning Drawings •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
1994
24+1 Letters •
Attis Theater•
Athens•
1993
The Letter That Did Not Arrive •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
1993
27 Images on George Seferis’s Poetry •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
1993
The City •
Galerie Pascal Pollar•
Brussels•
1993
Ianos Gallery•
Thessaloniki•
1992
Drawings in Colour 1991 •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
1992
Galerie La Parc•
Liège•
1991
The Love / The City •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
1991
Metropolis Art Galleries•
New York•
1991
Jannis Psychopedis: Lettres de Bruxelles •
Galerie Pascal Pollar•
Brussels•
1990
Agathi Art Gallery•
Athens•
1990
Galerie Pascal Pollar•
Brussels•
1990
Kreonidis Gallery•
Athens•
1988
Selections 1962-1987 •
Pierides Art Gallery•
Glyfada•
(Zoumboulakis Galleries)•
1988
Galerie Redmann•
Berlin•
1988
Galerie Pascal Pollar•
Brussels•
1987
Selections 1962-1986 •
Retrospective exhibition•
Municipal Art Gallery of Rhodes (Modern Greek Art Museum)•
Rhodes•
1986
The Letter that Did Not Arrive… •
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
1985
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Berlin•
1985
Heraklion Art Gallery•
Heraklion•
1985
Selections 1962-1972 •
Yakinthos Gallery•
Kifissia•
1985
Galerie im Kornerpark•
Berlin•
1985
Mylonoyanni Art Gallery•
Chania•
1984
Retrospective exhibition•
State Museum of Antiquities, Munich Glyptotech•
Munich•
1983
Zoumboulakis Galleries•
Athens•
1982
Retrospect 1967 •
Retrospective exhibition•
The Third Eye Gallery•
Athens•
1981
Painting 1978-1980 •
Athens Art Gallery•
Athens•
1981
Akademie der Künste•
Berlin•
1981
Overbeck-Gesellschaft•
Lübeck•
1980
Jannis Psychopedis: Arbeiten 1978 / 1979 •
Travelling exhibition•
Kasseler Kunstverein, Kassel / Kunsthalle Darmstadt, Darmstadt•
1979
Still Life •
Athens Art Gallery•
Athens•
1978
Galerie Poll•
Berlin•
1977
23 Drawings on Nassos Theofilos's short stories •
Gazette Bookshop•
Athens•
1977
Institut Français d'Athènes•
Athens•
1976
Kochlias Art Gallery•
Thessaloniki•
1976
Galerie APEX•
Göttingen•
1975
Center for Visual Arts•
Athens•
1974
Galerie Poll•
Berlin•
1973
Galerie Art Appeal•
Munich•
1966
Keraia Gallery•
Athens•
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1966
Press
The female figure is shaped by the contrasts of bright colours, while it is simultaneously shattered on multiple levels […] The severe, private space is broken up and recorded through multicoloured, intense bursts of colour […] At other times, Psychopedis focuses on depicting the inside and the outside, of the private and the public lived space, as supplementary elements of interaction with the psyche. Works full of traces of the human presence interlace the sloping space of Cubism, with the perspective of depth of the Renaissance. The tilted plane of the foreground functions as an open map, urging the viewer to wander gradually with his eyes and his mind, to discover symbols and scenes of a lived everyday life. The measure, the cigarette packs and discarded bull-ends, the postcards with ancient Greek sculptures are transformed into expressionist paintings floating in the anti-illusive space of the canvas. Psychopedis brings together the interior of a room with the view from the window, takes us out into the nightlife of the city, proposes autobiographical short stories that emit a sense of both introversion and extroversion, at the same time […] The 1990s find Psychopedis engaged in a constant and complex dialogue with the past, his personal journey, History and Art.
Bia Papadopoulou