IOANNIS EFTHYMIOU
Contemporary visual artist working with paper pulp as a primary medium, where memory, lived experience, and folk tradition are translated into layered material compositions
Born in Korinthos, Greece (1990), the artist studied for three years at the Marble Sculpture School in Tinos (PESKPT), where they were introduced to sculpture and painting, establishing the foundation of their artistic practice. In 2011 they were admitted to the Athens School of Fine Arts, graduating in 2017 with excellence (100%) for their diploma thesis.
Their work has received recognition through several awards, including the Henrion Award from the Hampstead Art Society for Nocturnal Athens (2025), 2nd Prize in the “Young Artists Contest” by Ethniki Asfalistiki in collaboration with the Athens School of Fine Arts, and a nomination for the Spyropoulos Awards (2015–2016), highlighting their early trajectory as an emerging artist.
They have presented a number of solo exhibitions, including The peak is behind the mountain (Skoufa Gallery, 2025), Dampen (Museum of History and Archives of Hydra, 2024), Paperpulp Fictions (Municipal Gallery of Mykonos, 2023), as well as earlier solo shows at Evripides Art Gallery. Their work has also been included in significant group exhibitions such as ART ATHINA (2019), Platforms Project (2022), the State Museum of Contemporary Art Thessaloniki (2017), the Mataroa Project at Art Thessaloniki International Contemporary Art Fair (2024), and exhibitions in Athens and internationally, including London.
At the core of their practice is an exploration of paper pulp as both material and image. Rather than treating it as a support for painting, the artist works directly with the pulp, allowing it to form structure, surface, and narrative simultaneously. This material-driven approach is closely tied to themes of memory, lived experience, and elements of Greek folk tradition, with recurring motifs such as mountains, houses, horses, and vehicles functioning as symbolic anchors across their work.
