Michalis Katzourakis

Michalis Katzourakis (1933–2025) was born in Alexandria. He studied in Paris, painting with André Lhote and poster design and drawing with Paul Colin. He returned to Athens in 1955 and worked as a freelance graphic designer. From 1959 onward, he designed exhibition pavilions for international fairs. Between 1960 and 1967, he served as artistic advisor to the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT), and from 1962 to 1974, he co-directed, together with Freddie Carabott, the K&K Athens Advertising Center. In 1974, with his wife Agni, he founded the agency A&M Katzourakis, which undertook the design of luxury cruise ships. He first exhibited paintings at the Peyne Gallery in Athens (1955). From the early 1970s, he turned to sculpture, often monumental in scale, using both natural and industrial materials. His work is marked by geometric abstraction and rigorous structure, with an emphasis on site-specificity. In 1976, he participated in the art group “Procedures–Systems.” His work has been widely presented in solo and group exhibitions, including at the Greek National Gallery, the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens, the Benaki Museum, and the Musée Matisse in Cateau-Cambrésis. He received seven Rizzoli prizes and, in 1965, was awarded the Gold Cross of the Order of the Phoenix for his contribution to Greek design.