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George Sfougaras

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George Sfougaras (born 1959)[1] is a contemporary British Greek artist, based in Leicester, England; he works and exhibits internationally, in collaboration with a network of partners.[2] He claims that his work is concerned with memory, identity, and the impact of history on the present, and that his printed works explore issues of human migration, change and cultural inheritance through representational art which draws on cultural symbols and archival research.[3] He is a member of the Leicester Society of Artists[4] and the Leicester Print Workshop.[5] In 2017, he established the Focus on Identity International collective, a group of artists from various European and Middle Eastern countries.[6]

Early life and artistic themes

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Sfougaras was born in Heraklion, Crete, to Christian parents who were refugees from Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and who subsequently came to the UK during the 1970s military Junta period; he says that these narratives form the cornerstone of his work.[4][7] His mother’s accounts of the transportation and loss of the island’s Jewish population inspired the book Tales from an Old Fort Town: a personal response to the Jewish History of Crete, and a permanent exhibition at Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Crete, in 2018.[8] George was invited on a residency to Chania in March 2019, to create a map of the former Jewish area of the city, incorporating the long-destroyed Neve Shalom, Chania’s second synagogue.[9] His two subsequent installations for the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery deal with the horrors of war and forced migration. In 2021, in The Light in the Darkness exhibition in Leicester, Sfougaras presented two United Nations-style rescue tents, within which large transparencies of Jewish, Turkish, Greek, and Armenian refugees were illuminated by a rotating black box, simultaneously illuminating, and "retelling" the past.[10][11] He later created a multi-site installation entitled In Remembrance in the form of a film which depicts the turning pages of a large book containing extracts from two of his publications, Tales from an Old Fort Town and One Winter’s Night in Prague.[12][11]  

Career and works

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Sfougaras worked in the education sector. In 2014, while he was headteacher of the Children's Hospital School in Leicester, he led the school in the collaborative Learning at Home and the Hospital (LeHo) project, in partnership with hospital schools in six other countries.[13] Here he also contributed to a project led by the University of Leicester on Mind, Body, Spirit: How museums impact health and wellbeing.[14]

In Sfougaras' 2019 Arts Council-funded exhibition under the title of Recovered Histories, in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery, the Leicester Print Workshop, Leicester Museums, and ArtReach, he presented mixed media works, including banners, drawings, animated panels and prints based on his family’s experience of displacement and resettlement, making a connection with the on-going turmoil of global migration.[15] The works were exhibited in the Leicester Cathedral and the Portsmouth Cathedral and in Leicester’s LCB Depot and other public spaces.[16][17] For some of his prints, he worked closely with refugees and asylum seekers. For example, he worked with the Roots Group of refugees and asylum seekers in Leicester to create an exhibition in response to the concept of ‘Coming Home’ centred around the loan from the National Portrait Gallery of the Richard III portrait to Leicester, the place of the discovery of his remains and his eventual interment.[18][19]

Sfougaras’s reinterpretation of the Knight, Death and the Devil by Dürer was purchased by Leicester Museums Trust in 2020 to be housed within the German Expressionist Gallery: he claims that the large pen and ink drawing focuses on the symbolism of the work, how elements have been subverted by political interests and superimpose new elements alluding to recent European history.[20]

Sfougaras has gained recognition for his reconstructed maps, narrative portraits and prints depicting migration.[21] He was a prize winner in the Small Print International exhibition in 2016,[22] and was shortlisted for the Freedom.org Depicting Human Rights exhibition in Washington DC. (2017).[23]

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Year Title Venue/ body/ publisher
2016 Tales from an Old Fort Town Book and exhibition[24] Etz Hayyim Synagogue in Chania
2016 Little Hope, winner of International Small Print prize, 2016[25] Leicester Print Workshop
2016 Smyrna[26] Midland Printmakers Open Exhibition: Ideas on Paper. The Malt Cross, Nottingham
2017 Established the Focus on Identity International Artists Cooperative[27] Focus on Identity website
2017 Personal Maps Solo exhibition Alexandria Library Manchester
2017 Illustrations for Birds Without Sky, a poetry collection by Malka Al Haddad[28] Harriman House Ltd. Publishing House
2018 Works in Journeys to Home exhibition[29] Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
2018 Across the Seas: Screenprints and woodcuts[30] The Sam Scorer Gallery, Lincoln
2018 Contributor to Arċipelagu exhibition[31] International exhibition, Arċipelagu, curated by Raphael Vella, Malta.
2018 The Forgotten Conquerors book[32] Mehri Publishing House, London
2018 A Personal Map[33] - artist's response to a novel by Trezza Azzopardi Commissioned by Cardiff University
2019 Residency to reconstruct a map of the Jewish neighbourhood: Hania Jewish Quarter Virtual Tour[34] Etz Hayyim Synagogue
2019 Recovered Histories exhibition and public works[35][36] LCB Depot, Leicester
2019 Leicester Cathedral Banner[37] Leicester Cathedral
2019 Commission for De Lisle Catholic Academy[38] De Lisle College
2019 Talk at Leicester Cathedral: Unfolding Design[39] Leicester Cathedral
2019 WebinArt Interview with George Sfougaras in 7 parts WebinArt Professional Development Programme by Creative Leicestershire
2020 Maps with Feelings. A visual way of connecting us from afar - materials for Digital Bible Week[40] Haus Ohrbeck, Osnabrück
2020 Holocaust Memorial Event Talk on The Knight, Death and the Devil Reinterpreted[41] Leicester Museum and Art Gallery
2020 Holocaust Memorial Flame Sculpture[42] Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation
2021 Artworks for Leicester Art House 2021[43] Exhibition for Art House Leicester, held virtually due to pandemic restrictions
2021 Serious Games commission and exhibition for George Davies Medical Centre Gallery[44] University of Leicester and Attenborough Arts Centre
2021 Light in the Darkness exhibition[45] Leicester Museum and Art Gallery and the Unitarian Chapel in Leicester
2022 Cover and graphics for first edition of Other Side of Hope magazine[46][47] The Other Side of Hope Magazine
2022 In Remembrance: a Holocaust Memorial Day film[48] Leicester Museum and Art Gallery and Green Dragon Square
2022 An invited contributor to the Greek Government’s Project: 100 Memories[49] National Hellenic Research Foundation
2023 Artist Access to Art Colleges (AA2A) Artist in residence and Process Exhibition[50][51][52] Loughborough University
2023 Artworks for Art in the Courtyard Room[53], LCB Depot LCB Depot, Leicester
2023 Artworks for the Cheshire Print Fair Cheshire Print Fair[54]
2023 Artworks for Leicester Art House 2023[43] Art House
2023 Kinesis Exhibition[21] The Gateway Gallery, Shrewsbury Arts Trail[55]

References

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  1. ^ "The Well Trust Leicester". Companies House. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  2. ^ "George Sfougaras". CuratorSpace. 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  3. ^ "An Arts Council project final Evaluation report". focusonidentity. 2019-11-17. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  4. ^ a b "George Sfougaras". www.leicestersocietyofartists.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  5. ^ "Artists - Leicester Print Workshop". www.leicesterprintworkshop.com. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  6. ^ "focus on identity,art,artist collective,United Kingdom". focusonidentity. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  7. ^ "March - George Sfougaras". Leicester Sketch Club. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  8. ^ "The Exhibitions at Etz Hayyim – Etz Hayyim Synagogue". Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  9. ^ "Hania Jewish Quarter Virtual Tour – Etz Hayyim Synagogue". Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  10. ^ "Light in the Darkness – Leicester Museums". www.leicestermuseums.org. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  11. ^ a b "George Sfougaras: Light in the Darkness". www.curatorspace.com. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  12. ^ "Event Details – Leicester Museums". www.leicestermuseums.org. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  13. ^ "Learning at Home and in the Hospital – SocialTech". Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  14. ^ "Mind, body, spirit: How Museums Impact Health and Wellbeing – South East Museum Development". southeastmuseums.org. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  15. ^ "Home". www.recoveredhistories.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  16. ^ National Portrait Gallery (2019). COMING HOME Case Study: Portrait of King Richard III by Unknown Artist (PDF). London: National Portrait Gallery. pp. 1–4.
  17. ^ Portsmouth Cathedral (27 October 2019). "Portsmouth Cathedral: Sunday 27th October 2019. Last Sunday after Trinity" (PDF). Portsmouth Cathedral. p. 1. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  18. ^ Sanctuary in the Arts Resource Pack (PDF) (1st ed.). City of Sanctuary UK and Counterpoint Arts. 2019.
  19. ^ "Leicester Museums & Galleries". Leicester Museums & Galleries. March 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  20. ^ "Artist Talk | George Sfougaras - The Knight, Death and the Devil Reinterpreted". Leicester Society of Artists. January 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Shropshire Live". Shropshire Live. June 1, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  22. ^ "Small Print International Prizewinners Announced". Leicester Print Workshop. August 24, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  23. ^ "Artist Talk - George Sfougaras". Leicester Sketch Club. March 6, 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  24. ^ "Etz Hayyim Research Library". Etz Hayyim Synagogue. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  25. ^ "Small Print International Prizewinners Announced". Leicester Print Workshop. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  26. ^ "Midlands Printmakers Open Exhibition 2016". Leicester Society of Artists.
  27. ^ "Home". Focus on Identity. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  28. ^ "Launch of Birds without Sky – Poems from Exile". Leicester City of Sanctuary. 23 February 2018.
  29. ^ "Redding Collection inspires new exhibition at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum". Rugby Borough Council. June 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  30. ^ Transition Town Louth (1 May 2018). "transitiontownlouth". transitiontownlouth.org. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  31. ^ Vella, Raphael. "Arċipelagu, 2018". raphael vella. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  32. ^ "The Forgotten Conquerors - a new publication by George Sfougaras". Leicester Society of Artists. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  33. ^ "A Personal Map by George Sfougaras". Literary Atlas Wales. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  34. ^ "Hania Jewish Quarter Virtual Tour". Etz Hayyim Synagogue. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  35. ^ "Recovered Histories". Visit Leicester. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  36. ^ "Recovered Histories". Data Thistle. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  37. ^ "Bishop's Guli's refugee experiences inspire artwork on show". Diocese of Leicester. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  38. ^ "An Artwork for De Lisle". De Lisle College. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  39. ^ "'Recovered Histories' Project: The Cathedral Banner. A discussion between the Very Revd David Monteith, Dean of Leicester and artist George Sfougaras". Contemporary Visual Arts Network East Midlands (CVAN). Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  40. ^ "Materials of the Digital Bible Week". Haus Ohrbeck. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  41. ^ "Artist Talk | George Sfougaras - The Knight, Death and the Devil Reinterpreted". Leicester Society of Artists. January 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  42. ^ "Leicester flame chosen to be part of HMD Commemorative Ceremony". Liberal Judaism. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  43. ^ a b "George Sfougaras". Art House Leicester. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  44. ^ "George Sfouragas - Serious Games | In Leicester now". Leicester Society of Artists. 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  45. ^ "Light in the Darkness – a new installation". Leicester Museums and Galleries. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  46. ^ "online volume, number 1, autumn 2021". the other side of hope. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  47. ^ "On Tanner's Gate, by cover artist George Sfougaras". the other side of hope. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  48. ^ "Holocaust Memorial Commemoration Day". Leicester Museums and Galleries. January 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  49. ^ "100 Memories" (PDF). National Hellenic Research Foundation. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  50. ^ "Artists Access to Art Colleges". aa2a. 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  51. ^ "AA2A Art Residency at Loughborough University". Leicester Society of Artists. Feb 6, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  52. ^ "Process - AA2A exhibition". Loughborough University Arts. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  53. ^ "Art in the Courtyard Room". LCB Depot. Feb 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  54. ^ "Cheshire Print Fair". April 29, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  55. ^ "Shrewsbury Arts Trail". Visit Shropshire. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
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