Philip Tsiaras
Philip Tsiaras is an internationally acclaimed artist of Greek origin who lives and works in New York City. He has had more than 80 one-person exhibitions and works across a great range of media, including painting, photography, glass, ceramic, and bronze.
Tsiaras is widely recognised as one of the leading Greek artists of his generation. “Philip Tsiaras artworks are an important advance in the surrealist tradition of 20th century art…. Traditional surrealism had a morbid curiosity about pathology. In contrast, Tsiaras’ surrealism transcends such morbidity. Indeed, the sense of pleasure that emanates from his work, his fantasies of the self, and of the world, seem so positively charged with healthy erotic pleasure, as to deny the power of mental pathology, and even to suggest it can be overcome. It is though Tsiaras wants to remind us, that the self and the world, however diseased, can be enjoyed.” Donald Kuspit, Critic.
His work has been exhibited in the Venice Biennale three times, notably including a 10 ft high bronze sculpture on the Grand Canal, entitled Social Climber and he has been the recipient of many national prizes including: The American Academy Award for Poetry, the Thomas Watson Fellowship, two National Endowment Grants for the Arts (NEA), nomination for the Blickle Stiftung Photography Prize, Germany, Gold Medal Award “Civiltà dell’Acqua”, Venice, and Lifetime Cultural Achievement Award, the Alexandrion International Foundation, New York.
His works are widely collected in prominent museums and private collections, including the Metropolitan Museum, New York. Twenty books and catalogues are attributed to his work.
Tsiaras is widely recognised as one of the leading Greek artists of his generation. “Philip Tsiaras artworks are an important advance in the surrealist tradition of 20th century art…. Traditional surrealism had a morbid curiosity about pathology. In contrast, Tsiaras’ surrealism transcends such morbidity. Indeed, the sense of pleasure that emanates from his work, his fantasies of the self, and of the world, seem so positively charged with healthy erotic pleasure, as to deny the power of mental pathology, and even to suggest it can be overcome. It is though Tsiaras wants to remind us, that the self and the world, however diseased, can be enjoyed.” Donald Kuspit, Critic.
His work has been exhibited in the Venice Biennale three times, notably including a 10 ft high bronze sculpture on the Grand Canal, entitled Social Climber and he has been the recipient of many national prizes including: The American Academy Award for Poetry, the Thomas Watson Fellowship, two National Endowment Grants for the Arts (NEA), nomination for the Blickle Stiftung Photography Prize, Germany, Gold Medal Award “Civiltà dell’Acqua”, Venice, and Lifetime Cultural Achievement Award, the Alexandrion International Foundation, New York.
His works are widely collected in prominent museums and private collections, including the Metropolitan Museum, New York. Twenty books and catalogues are attributed to his work.