Charos Manolis (1960)

He was born in Kythira in 1960. He studied painting and printmaking at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris (1978-1982). He went on to postgraduate studies in Image Communication at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (1982-1983). He presented his first solo exhibition in 1981 in Athens (Polyplano).
His work includes paintings, prints and three-dimensional constructions. He uses various media and materials, emphasizing on the poetic use of colour, which is one of the most characteristic features of his art. Sometimes his style is abstract, but his images usually express a narrative vein, which seems to develop itself almost spontaneously through very particular themes. He paints scenes alluding to myths, or a fairytale-like nature with simplicity, emotion, sensibility, and perhaps even a subtle touch of irony.
In 1984 he was awarded for his lithographic works with the French prize Prix des Fondations (1984), and in 1988, he received the Athens Academy Award for artists under 40.
Alongside his printmaking and painting exhibitions, he has devoted part of his artistic activity to object and furniture design, and has also designed toys and print materials. Moreover, he has illustrated books, mainly with lithographic and etching prints. Absolut vodka company used one of his works for its advertising campaign (1991). In 1996 he designed the (paper) campaign of the Greek National Book Centre. From 2000 to 2001, he was guest artist at the Princeton University, U.S.A.
He has presented more than thirty solo exhibitions in Greek and other European cities, as well as in the U.S.A. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions and international events in various cities worldwide. More specifically: 2nd and 3rd Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean (Thessaloniki, 1986; Barcelona, 1987), International Competition of the Monte Carlo Art Museum (Monaco , 1992), Festival International de la Peinture, Cagnes-sur-Mer (France, 1994) Art Athina 3 (1995), Salon de Montrouge, (Paris 1997), et al.
He lives and works in Athens and on Kithira