“Cyclades” – Manolis Koundourakis

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Born in Rethymno, Crete, the artist began studying freehand drawing in 1963 under Theodoros Drosos. From 1964 to 1965, he apprenticed with the painter Andreas Georgiadis. Between 1968 and 1970, he attended courses at the College of Art in Cardiff, Wales.

From 1983 to 1989, he served as artistic advisor at the Cretan House Foundation, as well as curator responsible for the evaluation of visual art exhibitions within the institution.

In 1985, he collaborated with the Ministry of Education on the illustration of school textbooks for public education.

In 1990, he received first prize in a competition for the design study of the monument “Freedom & Spirit” in Rethymno, organized by the Public Power Corporation (DEI).

In 1991, he was awarded in a nationwide competition for the design of the emblem of the University of Crete.

In 1993, he taught as an instructor and trainer in the painting department of adult education programs (N.E.L.E.) in Heraklion, Crete.

He maintains a workshop dedicated to icon painting and has studied Byzantine iconography at workshops on Mount Athos, with particular focus on the style of the iconographer Manuel Panselinos.

His studies and designs for public monuments include: the “Asia Minor Catastrophe” monument in Rethymno, the “Fallen Fighters” monument in Atsipopoulo (Rethymno), the sculpture study “Woman of Crete” on the Rethymno waterfront, and the study for the sculpture “Fighting Worker” at the Rethymno Workers’ Center.

His works are included in permanent collections such as the Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete, the Municipal Art Gallery of Castenazo (Italy), the Municipal Gallery of Castillion in Bordeaux (France), the Workers’ Center of Nicosia (Cyprus), as well as numerous private collections.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

1971 Lyceum Club of Greek Women, Rethymno
1974 Pan-Cretan Exhibition, Athens
1977 Philological Society Hall, Piraeus
1979 Macedonia Palace Hotel, Thessaloniki (under the auspices of the Cretan Association of Thessaloniki)
1981 Hellenic Art & Culture Center, Syntagma, Athens
1983 & 1985 Gallery “Visual Space”, Kolonaki, Athens
1987 Chamber of Commerce, Patras
1988 Twinning events of Rethymno Municipality with Castenazo, Italy
1994 Art Club “Thelgos”, Piraeus
1999 “Theophilos” Art Hall, Plaka, Athens
2002 & 2008 Rethymno Art Center (under the Contemporary Visual Creation Center)
2008 “Forms & Colors”, Apollo multi-purpose venue
2020 Retrospective Exhibition, Rethymno Art Center

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

1976 & 1978 “Cretan Painters”, Cultural Center of Athens
1979 “Young Artists”, Cultural Center of Athens
1981 Pan-Cretan Exhibition, Cultural Center of Agia Paraskevi, Athens
1986 “Autognosia” Bookstore Gallery, Rethymno
1990 Cretan Artists Exhibition, St. Francis Hall, Rethymno
1996 “Contemporary Trends of Cypriot & Greek Artists”, Famagusta Gate, Nicosia
1998 “With Lyra and Bow: Memories and Contemporary Creation”, Rethymno
2000 “17 Visual Artists for M. Anagnostakis”, “Ariadne” Art Space, Heraklion
2003 “Oikade – Cretan Artists”, Rethymno Contemporary Art Center
2004 Exhibition within the framework of the Olympism–Culture symposium, St. Francis Hall, Rethymno