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

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

. Born in

Stavroupoli Stavroupoli (, literally ''city of the Cross'') is a suburb of the Thessaloniki Urban Area and a former municipality in the regional unit of Thessaloniki, Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, 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; , 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 ...

. 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 writer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most widely translated and popular writers in the world. Zweig was raised in V ...

, Papassavas journeyed with his wife to

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, 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 a burst of creativity in a literary, musical, or visual art and other artistic endeavours without thinking. The concept has origins in both Hellenism and Hebraism. The ...

, 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 university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. 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.

General 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 20th-century Greek painters Greek male painters 20th-century American painters American male painters 21st-century American painters 21st-century Greek male artists 21st-century Greek painters Greek expatriates in Bulgaria Greek expatriates in Brazil 20th-century American male artists People from Xanthi (regional unit) {{US-painter-stub