Loukia & Michael Zampelas Art Museum

4 окт. 2017 г.
3 мин. чтения

A busy sunny day was accompanied by a visit to Loukia & Michael Zampelas Art Museum in Nicosia, Cyprus. Located in the northern part of Cyprus' capital, the museum is close to the Turkish part of the island. The collection focuses on Cypriot artists' paintings created from the 19th century up to present day. The museum was founded by Michalis Zampelas, the former mayor of Nicosia. The museum building was designed by architect Athos Dikaios (1973 - 2013) in the Kaimakli area with his new part which was completed in 2012.

Third floor with a glass-made passage

As can be observed from the picture below, founder is very into contemporary sculpture. The building looks very modern inside with using a lot of glass.

In the Museum’s permanent collection the visitor recalls artistic movements of the late 19th century till the present, with a major focus on Cypriot culture through Cypriot artists. The multiplicity of artistic methods, which is one of the main features to observe in situ, is identified through Christoforos Savva’s cementographies (1924 – 1968), the batik of Glyn Hughes (1931 – 2014), the three-dimensional composition of found objects by Stass Paraskos (1933 – 2014), the naive folklore representation of Michael C. Kassialos (1885 – 1974), among others.

The Cart, by Greek artist Dimitris Anthis (1925 – 1991), was the first work purchased by the Zampelas family for the collection in 1966. Theodoros Rallis (1852-1909), Alexander Alexandrakis (1913-1968) and Constantinos Volanakis (1837 – 1907) respectively, through their work, represent neoclassical and realistic Greek art of the 19th century. Two major works which represent the international aspect of the collection are the etchings by Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973) and Salvador Dali (1904 – 1989).

Sculpture between 1st and 2nd floor

One of the most favorite exhibits of the founder of the museum is the cementography of Khristoforos Savvas (Χριστόφορος Σάββα, 1924-1968). It is interesting how the artist was able to transform the past of ancient art (the stellas of the Hellenistic period of the 3rd century B.C.) into modern forms of relief with geometrical elements of naive.

Christoforos Savva (1924 - 1968)

Couple, ca 1963

White cement sculpture relief

124 x 36 cm

Christoforos Savva (1924 - 1968)

Abstract Composition, ca 1963

White cement sculpture relief

124 x 36 cm

The founders, Michael and Loukia Zampelas have been collecting and supporting the work of many Cypriot, Greek and international artists for a period of over fifty years. Their love for art and their will to support working artists culminated in a Pan Cyprian competition dedicated to the second and third generations of Cypriot artists at the turn of the Millennia. Over five hundred works by acclaimed artists were submitted and the hundred best went on to be published in a book, the Cypriot Artists of the 3rd Millenium.

Third floor of the museum

The work of Adamantios Diamantis (Αδαμαντίας Διαμαντις) in 1955 is very characteristic of Cypriot artists of the 1950s and 1970s. Throughout these thirty years in their work, not motifs of a measured Mediterranean life are traced, but the desire to emphasize their difference from both Greece and the Turks, who captured the northern part of the island. I myself even bought a postcard with a reproduction of this picture.

Adamantios Diamantis (1900 - 1994)

Village Woman, 1942

Oil on canvas

30 x 30 cm

And I also bought this one. From the conversation with the founder of the museum, the impressions were very positive. Despite his advanced age and main specialty in which he worked all his life, he and his wife are completely devoted to the museum and its work: the museum's events and its shop are very well organized, although there are not many workers in the museum. In founder's collection you may also find works of Ukrainian artist Alexei And.