Costas Valsamis (1908–2003) was a Greek

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

. He was born on the island of

Symi Symi, also transliterated as Syme or Simi (), is a Greece, Greek island and Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality. It is mountainous and has the harbour town of Symi and its adjacent upper town Ano Symi, as well as several smaller ...

Dodecanese The Dodecanese (, ; , ''Dodekánisa'' , ) are a group of 15 larger and 150 smaller Greek islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Anatolia, of which 26 are inhabited. This island group generally define ...

, then in the Ottoman Empire and died in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

. His work was part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and officially branded as London 1948, were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus cau ...

Biography

In 1932 he entered the

Athens School of Fine Arts The Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA; , ΑΣΚΤ) is a Greek higher education institution, specializing in the visual arts. History The Athens School of Fine Arts was established on 12 January 1837, known as the ''School for the Arts''. In the ...

where he studied under Costas Dimitriadis. Completing his studies in 1937, he worked as a sculptor in Athens until 1945, then was granted a scholarship by the French government. He entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the atelier of

Marcel Gimond Marcel Antoine Gimond (1894–1961) was a French sculptor known for his busts, statues, and portraits in bronze. Biography Gimond was born in the Ardèche region of France. He first studied at the ''Beaux-Arts'' Academy in Lyon and was the stud ...

then, at the

Académie de la Grande Chaumiere An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

, he was a student of

Ossip Zadkine Ossip Alexeevich Zadkine (; 28 January 1888 – 25 November 1967) was a Russian and French artist of the School of Paris. He is best known as a sculptor, but also produced paintings and lithographs. Early years and education Zadkine was born o ...

Awards

In 1979, he was nominated as a Knight in the Orders of Arts and Letters by the Ministry of Culture and Communication of the French Government. In 1987, he became a member of the corresponding French Academy of Fine Arts.

Personal life

Valsamis was married to Zoe Valsamis, a painter and graduate of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

Creations

*Heroic Woman, plaster, Middelheimmuseum. *The Purity, bronze, Parc Montsouris. *The Mother in the occupation, bronze, the first cemetery of Athens. *

El Greco Doménikos Theotokópoulos (, ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco (; "The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance, regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time. ...

, bronze bust, Academias street, the square of the cultural center of Athens. *The Little Fisherman, bronze, Symi. *The Dove of Peace, Symi. * C.P. Cavafy, bronze bust, near the

Pedion tou Areos The Pedion tou Areos or Pedion Areos (, , meaning ''Field of Ares'', corresponding to the French ''Champ de Mars'' and the ancient ''Campus Martius'') is one of the largest public parks in Athens, Greece. It is also the name of the wider neighbor ...

, Athens

Bibliography

*Benezit, Dictionary of Artists. *Dizionario Universale delle Belle Arti Comanducci.

References

External links

Some Works of the Artist
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valsamis, Costas 1908 births 2003 deaths 20th-century Greek sculptors 20th-century Greek male artists Art competitors at the 1948 Summer Olympics People from Symi