George Papassavas (born 28 January 1924) is a Greek painter who has traveled extensively throughout

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

. Born in

Stavroupoli Stavroupoli ( el, Σταυρούπολη, literally ''city of the Cross'') is a suburb of the Thessaloniki Urban Area and was a former municipality in the regional unit of Thessaloniki, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it has been ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, Papassavas against his father's will taught himself the techniques of the classical artist at a young age. At the age of 17, he was put into exile and forced into labor by the invading Bulgarian army. After his return to Greece, he began formal study at the

Athens School of Fine Arts The Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA; el, Ανωτάτη Σχολή Καλών Τεχνών, ΑΣΚΤ, literally: Highest School of Fine Arts), is Greece's premier Art school whose main objective is to develop the artistic talents of its students. ...

. In 1955, after being enchanted by the book '' Brazil: A Land of the Future'' by

Stefan Zweig Stefan Zweig (; ; 28 November 1881 – 22 February 1942) was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist, and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most widely translated and popular write ...

, Papassavas journeyed with his wife to

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, where he studied under

Candido Portinari Candido Portinari (December 29, 1903 – February 6, 1962) was a Brazilian painter. He is considered one of the most important Brazilian painters as well as a prominent and influential practitioner of the neo-realism style in painting. Portinari ...

. In search of

artistic inspiration Inspiration (from the Latin ''inspirare'', meaning "to breathe into") is an unconscious burst of creativity in a literary, musical, or visual art and other artistic endeavours. The concept has origins in both Hellenism and Hebraism. The Greeks ...

, Papassavas made several trips throughout South America observing both its people and natural environment. At the end of 1967, he moved to United States and continued his development in art at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. The end of 1974, Papassavas moved to Florida, where he became a U.S. citizen in 1978. To this day he still paints. He and his wife currently divide their time between Florida, Maine, and Massachusetts. He has numerous one man and group shows throughout Europe, South America, and the United States. His work is included in museums, libraries, and both private and corporate collections. His art has also been featured in many newspapers, magazines, and books. Bold outlines and warm colors characterize his dominate style in painting.

References

Artists of Florida. ''George Papassavas'', page 155–6. Alto, New Mexico: Mountain Productions of Texas, 1992.
Who's Who On The Arts, page 149. Miami, Florida: Jayell Publishing Company Publication, First Library Edition 1971–1972.
Who's Who On The Arts, page 109 & 117. Miami, Florida: Jayell Publishing Company Publication, Secondary Library Edition 1971-1972 1924 births Living people Harvard University alumni Greek expatriates in the United States 20th-century Greek male artists Greek male painters 20th-century American painters American male painters 21st-century American painters 21st-century Greek male artists Greek expatriates in Bulgaria Greek expatriates in Brazil 20th-century American male artists People from Xanthi (regional unit) {{US-painter-stub