George Tzimas, A Chromatic Revolutionist
Degas said, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”
Take
a moment to see the art
of George Tzimas
and you will see a world
of color, beauty and sheer joy.
George Tzimas was born and raised in Athens. At the young age of 7,
he began
painting. Following his studies, he went on and received his fine ar
ts ABC Diploma
in France. With a spirit of humor and imagination, he began his
artistic journey.
Q. When did you realize you wanted to be an artist?
I have always been an artist, but the turning point for me was at the age of
17 when
one of my high school teachers (who had noticed my talent and my obsession to
draw anywhere and anytime, even during her lesson), urged me to cha
nge the focus
of my studies.
So I studied freehand and line drawing at the Plaka School of Arts, at
ΙΕΚ
Petra, as
an apprentice to the sculptor Nikos Stefos with Anna-Maria, Vasso Marali
ou, Antonis
Apergis, Koursaris, Mytaras and George Katsoulis as my instructors.
Q. Do you have a favorite piece of artwork you have created?
It is hard to decide on a favorite piece. Everything that I have cre
ated is like my
“
offspring
”
, a piece of me.
Each project was created at different times and periods of my life; even
pieces
created on the same day differ depending on the mood and music I listen
to. How
can someone pick out a favorite child?
Q. Where do you draw inspiration from?
I am inspired by commonplace situations, by a smile, a burst of a cry, expe
riences I
have lived or narrated, the wind, nature
…
everything is potent as inspiration, even
smells!
Q. Are you working on a new project?
In general, I am working on various projects and different techniques,
preparing for
new exhibits and custom order
s!
Q. Tell us about the school
“
graffiti
”
project.
During these hard times of recession, our society finds itself in a grey, miserable
and
pessimistic environment, characterized by tension and violence. Woul
dn
’
t it be better
if we could change this environment, revolt using colors, and give ou
r children hope
that anything can be achieved without the negative influence of others?
A revolutionary message for life.
Therefore, I decided to initiate a chromatic revolution, filling
schools with color and
especially primary schools where children take their first steps. The idea w
as
endorsed by fellow artists who formed with me the team of seven; a team
that hopes
that other artists will contribute to the creation of an optimistic schoo
l environment.
Q. What words of advice do you have for young artists?
Everyone is an artist to me, all of us are dreamers, and even those
who think they
are not, they contribute to art through their actions, their emotio
ns. Above all we
have to be dreamers and young at heart.
