Andreas Karayan-IDOLS

Born in Nicosia, 1943. Pancyprium Gymnasium 1960.

1960-1967:

•  Studied medicine at Athens University.

1968-1972:

• Painting at the Camberwell and the Central Schools of Art in London, Dip. A.D. Fine Arts 

1973:

• Engraving at the Kunstakademie in Stuttgart, Germany.

1974:

• Art Teachers Training Course in London.

Apart from being a painter he is also a drama and film critic and illustrator. He is the author of five novels in Greek ( two of them got a state prize of literature 2011 and  2014) 

He represented Cyprus at the Venice Biennale in 2001 and  at the Cairo Biennale in 2006.. After an invitation from the Library of Alexandria in 2007, he lived in the city and produced a series of works on Alexandrian themes, which were exhibited at the Library. 

Awards:  

2007:

• POLITIS NEWSPAR’S AWARDS OF THE YEAR
• ARTIST OF THE YEAR: ANDREAS KARAYAN for introducing Cyprus in the International Auction Market .His  painting “ National Day “ in the Bonham’s Greek Sale of 2007 fetched the price of 20.000 pounds sterling, the highest price ever that a Cypriot artist achieved in the International Auction Market.
• The  Cyprus participation at the 10th International Cairo Biennale with works by Andreas Karayan, and two other Cypriot artists won the first Prize for the best presentation .

  Solo Exhibitions:

1977:

• Stuttgart, Vitrine Gallery; Germany 

1978:

• Gallery ORA, Athens, Greece.  

1981:

• Gallery ORA, Athens, Greece.  

1985:

• Gallery ORA, Athens, Greece.  

1992:

• Gallery ORA, Athens, Greece.  

1979-1998:

• Numerous one-man shows in Cyprus.  

1990:

•  Galerie am Savignyplatz, Berlin, Germany

1995:

•  Galerie am Savignyplatz, Berlin, Germany. 
• Municipal Gallery, Athens, Greece.  

1998:

• Cavafy Museum, Alexandria, Egypt. 

2001:

•  49th Venice Biennale, Italy (official Cypriot representation). 

2002:

• Gallery LIA RUMMA, Napoli, Italy 

2006:

• 10th Cairo Biennale, Egypt (official Cypriot representation). 

2007:

• Bibliotheca Alexandria and Alpha Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus. 

2013-2014:

• Numerous exhibitions celebrating the 70th birthday of the artist

2015:

• Special exhibition “ ερώτων ατελών , Καβάφης, at Kakoyiannis Foundation in Athens. 

Has participated selectively in many group and thematic exhibitions in Cyprus and abroad. 

His work can be found at the Telogleio Foundation Thessaloniki, in the collection of the National Bank of Greece, at the Vorre Museum and the Pierides Gallery, in the Molyvos, Lesbos, Gallery, the Athens Municipality, the State Gallery of Cyprus, the Alexandrian Library and in other public and private collections in Germany, England, Italy, Egypt ,Greece and Cyprus. In collaboration with the German publishing house Janssen, published the ”Thirteen Love Poems” of Cavafy with his  illustrations.