Collection/Media source: https://www.leventisgallery.org/explore-the-aglc/collections/the-cyprus-collection/painting/376 [George Skotinos, Μεταβολισμός (απο τη σειρά έργων Λιθοσέβεια), 1968, λάδι σε μουσαμά, AGLC 534 @ A.G Leventis Gallery]
Text source: https://cyprus-mail.com/2022/12/15/renowned-cypriot-artist-yiorgos-skotinos-dies-aged-85/ (article by Nikolas Prakas)
Media: painting
Skotinos was born in Limassol in 1937 but grew up in Famagusta.
His art has its roots at the very birth of his country and its development traces his links with the historical facts of life there.
Although liking art at a young age, Skotinos began learning to paint while in the British prison Wormwood Scrubs and Wakefield, where he was held for involvement in the anti-colonial struggle of the 1950s in Cyprus.
Following his release in 1959, he went on to study art and drama in Athens and cinematography in New York before returning to his hometown of Famagusta to live and work.
During the Turkish invasion in 1974, Skotinos was forced to flee from his home and, alongside 200,000 other Greek Cypriots, became a refugee.
He lived in the resort area of Ayia Napa, following the invasion, where he set up a new studio open to the public.
Skotinos has held many solo exhibitions in Cyprus and Greece. Additionally, he has participated in many prestigious group exhibitions such as the 1967 Paris Biennale, the 1968 Alexandria Biennale, the 1968 Venice Biennale, the 1969 Sao Paolo Biennale and the 1969 and 1982 New Delhi Triennale.
In 1968 Yiorgos Skotinos was awarded an honorary mention in the Biennale of Alexandria, and in 1982 in the Triennale of India where he was the sole Cypriot representative, with paintings including some from his Cycle of Protest, he was awarded the Lalit Kala Akademi award, the highest of the Triennale for his outstanding contribution. In 1976, he also received the Ford foundation scholarship for Fine Arts.
