Biography

Nikos Houliaras, born in October 1940 in Ioannina, Epirus, is undoubtedly one of the most significant Greek artists. He studied set design and sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts (Yannis Pappas workshop), from which he graduated in 1967. In 1969 he was granted first prize at the Parthenis Awards for his paintings. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions and has held many individual exhibitions of his paintings. Several of his works can be found in museums, foundations and private collections throughout Greece and abroad. Nikos Houliaras’s work does not belong to any one particular artistic trend; with its rather mystic expressionism of occasionally surrealist proportions, it constitutes a deeply esoteric and private work, whose radiance and gravity are nonetheless global. What’s more, Nikos Houliaras’s creativity is not limited to the visual arts. He also happens to be one of the most remarkable poets and writers of modern Greece and most of his literary work has in fact been translated into other languages and become accessible to foreign audiences. In addition, he has been one of the most prominent lyricists and composers of the last few decades and has performed most of his own songs. Last but not least, he has also designed numerous publications, and been awarded the Leipzig International Book Fair Prize for book design twice.