Our Favorite Artworks by Alekos Fassianos

Alekos Fassianos was born and raised in Athens, then trained and lauded for his artistic creation in Paris. His evocative printwork and paintings of the artist have featured in some of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art exhibitions, from Venice’s Biennale to the Facchetti Gallery in New York. He was inspired in equal measure by the famed mythologies of his Greek heritage, and the discipline of lithography in which he was trained. Indeed, Fassianos’s work beautifully fuses Hellenic motifs with the anthropocentric styles which governed the Parisian art scene in the years following the Second World War. Today, we invite you to explore some of our favorite pieces by Alekos Fassianos.

1. Dionysos, an ode to antiquity

Upon graduating from the School of Fine Art in Athens, Fassianos was awarded a scholarship in 1960 to continue his training in Paris. It was then that he devoted himself to lithography, a print method using water and insoluble ink. His 2003 print on Fabriano paper, Dionysos, certainly exemplifies his command of this technique. He uses vibrant color to draw our eye to the symbolic association between the Greek god and his stewardship over grape-harvest and the ritual fertility of nature. Our eyes meet the striking depiction of the Dionysian temple in an uncharacteristically pink hue. It is as though we are at once brought into an entirely modern representation of classical antiquity.

2. Lettonie en musique, music in motion

Moreover, Fassianos produced Lettonie en musique in 1990, a time during which his work was exhibited across Europe and beyond. He guides us away from Hellenic imagery in this piece, to a contemporary depiction of an outdoor musical recital. Yet another salient example of Fassianos’s rendering of color is presented to us in this work. Only the artist’s meticulous carving of the stencil distinguishes between the cobalt cellist and his instrument. As the figures sing and play into the breeze, we love the artist’s marriage of red and blue, through the birds and handwritten words across the top. They seem to lend themselves to a sense of visual balance and harmony on the paper.

3. Paysage, a moment of calm

While certainly known for his mastery of lithography, it is worth mentioning Fassianos’s work in the art of etching. Paysage was completed in 1970, the year before Fassianos’ critically acclaimed debut at the São Paolo Bienal. We love this piece for its seeming simplicity at first glance. A flock of birds in the wide open sky fly above a collection of buildings sitting peacefully below. It is a picture of quiet tranquility. Yet as a great artist does, Fassianos compels us to reflect on the level of minute detail required to etch a piece so beautiful in its clarity. From the leaves in the right foreground, to the shutters and balcony of the home in the center.

4. Le fumeur de cigarette et le cheval, anthropocentrism in print

This print work was completed in the latter half of Fassianos’ career. Certainly, the mythological imagery of his native Greek culture formed a considerable portion of the artist’s inspiration. However, human figures and anthropocentric depictions were also consistently found to be at the heart of Fassianos’ œuvre. For example, Fassianos seems to gesture to the dominance of man, as the smoker grips the horse’s tail and stares down at the animal. Yet what strikes us is the artist’s sharing of red and blue between the figures. He invites our gaze to dart around this tense encounter, with the heat of the smoker’s cigarette reflected in the rage emanating from the horse’s eyes.

5. Femme nue, a vision in red

Our final favorite is the Nude Woman, which Fassianos finished in the preliminary stages of his career in 1969. The Greek junta in 1967 had removed him from his native Athens, and the artist’s international reputation was in its inception. We love this quintessentially single-colored print. The artist’s abstract corporeal depiction of the woman’s face and hair allows our gaze to move curiously around the print and explore her somewhat melancholic image. As with his Lettonie en musique, Fassianos uses only the meticulously carved stencil to create the illusion of corporeal texture and depth. This piece is a true embodiment of Fassianos’ mastery of lithography.

And there you have it, our 5 top picks from Alekos Fassianos. The artist, who died in 2022, has enjoyed an international reputation which has spanned decades. Our personal favorites encapsulate his deeply thought-provoking artistic narratives, striking rendering of color, his familiarity with classical Greek motifs, and his command of the contemporary artistic techniques he learned during his time in Paris. Which of Fassianos’ works do you love?