Two local artists, Yiannis Papageorgiou and Paraskevas Mavrianos, showcased their work to an impressed crowd at the Thessaloniki Art Exhibition, celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Sister City relationship between Melbourne and Thessaloniki.
Hosted on November 9, Jenny Mikakos MLC, Shadow Minister for Community Services, Shadow Minister for Seniors and ageing and Shadow Minister for Children, opened the exhibition, which was organised by Thessaloniki Association The White Tower, and spoke about how proud she was of the long-lasting sister city relationship.
“Hosting the largest Greek-speaking population outside of Europe, it was appropriate that Melbourne should have a strong and vibrant sister city relationship with a suitable Greek partner, thus Thessaloniki became the first European sister city to Melbourne,” said Ms Mikakos.
In his first exhibition, Paraskevas Mavrianos was able to show his Greek and Australian landscapes to a wider audience. Born at Krithia Thessaloniki in 1943, he came to Australia in 1963 with his family. The local chemist put him in touch with Roma Hall, who taught him some basics over a six month period when he was twelve. He uses oil paints to recreate neo-classical images.
In his third exhibition, self-taught artist Yiannis Papageorgiou featured 21 of his old and new works. Born in Thessaloniki, he has been painting in his own original style since early childhood, against many odds. He gave up on his artistic pursuits to become a family man, after migrating to Australia in 1965. In 1990, during a holiday in Greece an old friend urged him to start painting again. Luckily, Yiannis returned twice as excited, eager to transfer the stormy seas and unfamiliar landscapes of the world, along with beloved faces, into vivid imagery, made of oils, acrylic wash and pencil.