Yannis
Moralis (1916-)
Moralis' sense of balance and order is reminiscent of the work of Piet Mondrian .
But while the latter balanced the vertical against the horizontal, Moralis used curved lines. Moralis' depiction
of the female figure is reminiscent of Henri Matisse's late collages, or "blue nudes" .
Moralis' love of the female figure allowed him to translate its contours into perfectly thought-out compositions.
He studied the female form in various stages and positions - from pregnancy and eroticism, to simple sitting or
standing figures. Since 1970, Moralis' work has been characterised by a geometric stylisation, and an economic use
of colour, reminiscent of the perfect geometry of ancient Cycladic sculpture .
In 1931, Moralis was accepted to the Athens School of Fine Arts , where he
studied under Umbertos Argyros and Constandinos Parthenis . Following his
graduation in 1936, he moved to Rome and later to Paris, where he enrolled at the "Ecole des Beaux Arts" .
The Second World War forced Moralis to return to Greece in 1939.
In 1949, Moralis and other artists - including Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas, Yannis Tsarouchis, Nikos Engonopoulos and Panayiotis Tetsis - established the "Armos" art group.
In 1959, Moralis was invited to decorate the facade of the Athens Hilton. To this day, the exterior of the hotel
presents a striking combination of antique and modern abstract aesthetics. Moralis has worked with several
architects, including Sir Basil Spence and Antony Blee .
Moralis taught at the Athens School of Fine Arts for 36 years, before retiring in 1983. Greece's National Gallery hosted a Moralis
retrospective in 1988. Moralis - who has taken part in various group shows, including the 1958 Venice Biennale -
has also created memorable theatrical set and costume designs.
