Kostas Karnavas (1947-2014)
A Biography 

Kostas Karnavas: "Dionysian" sculpture with wood and liquer bottles

​Kostas Karnavas studied stage design and film directing at the Lykourgos Stavrakos School. He studied art and sculpture in Germany, Greece and the U.K. He was a member of the Greek Chamber of Artists. He was born, lived and worked in Athens.

Critical essays on his work were written by the then Curator of the Greek National Gallery Angela Tamvaki, Art Historian and Professor of Museology at the University of Thessaly Dimitris Deliyannis, the Art Historian and Professor of the University of Athens Athena Schina, and by Dr. Gert Wolf, Professor of Philosophy at Heidelberg University, Germany. 

Other essays on his work were written by writer Giorgos Skourtis, Art Critic Dora Eliopoulou-Rogan, poet Michalis Katsaros, Art Historian Giannis Bolis, Evi Palantiou, Kyriakos Valavanis, and others. He received an Honorary Diploma by the Society of Greek Writers.

He was included in the 2nd Volume of the Dictionary of Greek Artists, published by Melissa Publishing House, issues #49 and #53 of "Zygos" art magazine, issue #41 of "Eikastika" art magazine and Vol. II of  "Zygos Annual Edition on the Hellenic Fine Arts" in 1983.

Works of his can be found at the Vorres Museum, the Foundation of the Hellenic World, the Evgenidis Foundation, several Municipal Galleries, and a number of private collections in Greece, Germany and the U.S.A.

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SOLO SHOWS

1972  L. Stavrakos Film School Art Gallery, painting
1981  Galerie Zygos, painting
1983  Melnikow Galerie, Heidelberg, painting-sculpture
1984  Galerie Zygos, painting-sculpture
1984  Gruner Panther Galerie, Frankfurt, painting-sculpture
1986  Galerie Zygos, painting
1986  Zygos Gallery, Washington D.C. , painting
1987  Galerie Zygos, painting-sculpture
1990  Epipeda Art Gallery,painting
1991  Moschato Municipal Cultural Centre, painting-sculpture
1991  Galerie Zygos, painting-sculpture
1993  Markellos Castle, Aegina, painting
1993  Galerie Zygos, painting
1994  Panthea Gallery, Samos, painting
1994  Cavo Tagoo, Mykonos, painting
1995  Galerie Zygos, painting-sculpture
1995  Voula Municipal Cultural Centre, painting-sculpture
1996  "Tra De Art" Koln, Germany, painting 
1999  Galerie Zygos, painting-sculpture
2001  Athens Municipal Cultural Centre, sculpture
2001  Holargos Municipal Centre, painting
2001  Galerie Zygos, painting
2002  Galerie Zygos, painting
2005  Galerie Zygos, sculpture
2006  Galerie Zygos, retrospective exhibition of painting and sculpture, 
              April-May at the Centre of the Hellenic World
2011   "30 Years of Painting & Sculpture", Moschato Municipal Cultural Centre
2012  Honorary Exhibition, Moschato Municipal Cultural Centre
2014  Posthumous Retrospective Exhibition at Palais Hirsch Schlossplatz, Schwetzingen, Germany

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

1982 "Synopsis", Galerie Zygos, painting-sculpture
1983 "Young Greek Artists (for the European Union), Athens Conservatory 
1983 Exhibition of the Artists  in Vol. II of the Zygos Annual Edition
1984 "Synopsis", Galerie Zygos, painting-sculpture
1986 "Synopsis", Galerie Zygos, painting-sculpture
1988 "Six Painters of Galerie Zygos"
1988-1990 Travelling exhibition in several American Universities organized by Zygos Gallery
1990 "Summer Salon" Epipeda Art Gallery, painting-sculpture
1991  "Microforms", Epipeda Art Gallery, painting
1993  "Summer Salon", Galerie Zygos, painting 
1994  "Folio ‘93-‘94" , Galerie Zygos, painting
1994  "A Poem in Ten Paintings" Galerie Zygos, painting
1995  "Erotic" Galerie Zygos, painting
1995  "Summer Salon", Epipeda Art Gallery, painting-sculpture
1995  "Summer '95 , Galerie Zygos, painting
1996  "Five Greek Artists", University of Minnesota, MN, painting 
1997  "Greek Week", Marriott Hotel Tyson’s Corner VA, painting
1996  "40 Years Galerie Zygos", painting-sculpture
1997  Ward Nasse Gallery, New York, USA , painting
1997  Epipeda Art Gallery, painting
1997  Galerie Zygos, painting
1998  Ward Nasse Gallery, New York, USA, painting 
1999  Sigma Gallery, painting
2000  Sigma Gallery, sculpture
2001  Sigma Gallery, painting
2002  Galerie Zygos, painting
2003  Galerie Zygos, painting
2004  Galerie Zygos, painting
2004  Iris Gallery, painting-sculpture
2004  Periplanisi Gallery, painting-sculpture
2004  "In Praise of Olive" Athens Academy
2005   Galerie Zygos, painting-sculpture
2006   Galerie Zygos, painting-sculpture
2009  Art-Prisma Gallery, Imperial Hotel, Larissa, painting 
2009  Art-Prisma Gallery, "Ω γλυκύ μου έαρ", painting
2009  Art Zone 42 Gallery, "Optima", painting
2010  Technopolis, "The Human Form in Art", ΕΕΤΕ
2011  "Drachma in Art", Titanium Yiayannos Gallery, 
2011  "Summer Ascent", Titanium Yiayannos Gallery', 
2011  "Natura 2011" Evgenidis Foundation, Athina Schina curator

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March, 1986
Participation of Karnavas to the Inaugural Exhibition "Hellenic Fine Arts Today" 
at Zygos Gallery, Washington, DC

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September 19, 1986
Invitation to the Solo Show at Zygos Gallery, Washington DC

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October 24, 2002
Invitation to the Solo Show at Galerie Zygos, Nikis Street, Athens

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April 27, 2006
Invitation to the Solo Show at Galerie Zygos, Pireos Street, Athens

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Kostas Karnavas exhibition "Fish and Nymphs" at Galerie Zygos, Nikis Street.

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