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Minos Argyrakis

Painter, Cartoonist, Set Designer
Born in Smyrna, Asia Minor in 1920. A refugee from the Asia Minor Disaster, he studied at Athens College, under the care of Penelope Delta. He studied at the Athens University of Economics. He took painting lessons from Tsarouhis and he claimed as teachers the painters Kondoglou, Theofilos and Parthenis. During the Occupation, he registered with the United Panhellenic Youth Organization (EPON) and joined rebels to reach the mountains of Evrytania. He was a founding member of the Lambrakis Youth Organization. (1963). He belonged to the artistic circle of Yannis Moralis, Nikos Hadjikyriacou-Gikas, Manos Hadjidakis, Nikos Gatsos. He participated in several national exhibitions (1948, 1957), the International Youth Festival of Moscow, the Drawing Biennial, Tolentino Italy (1957). He published texts and sketches in newspapers and magazines of the period (Dawn, Freedom, etc.). He illustrated the English-language tour guide "Fodor's Greece" (1975) and the books "St. Francis of Assisi" by N. Kazantzakis' and “ Tha Vradiazi "by G. Theotokas. He published three albums of drawings (1957, 1962, 1965). Of these, the sharp social satire "Street Dreams" inspired Hadjidakis to turn it into a musical satire of the same name. (1962) In 1964 he founded the Theatre the "Ark of Amy," in Plaka, which was closed by the military junta in 1967. worked creating scenery for the musical productions of Hatzidakis, the Greek National Theatre, in children's theaters etc. For seven years (1967 – 1974) he lived and worked in Copenhagen, Scandadavian countries, Cyprus and New York. He presented his work in solo and group exhibitions in Greece and abroad (Paris, New York, Casablanca, Tokyo, etc.). His works are in the National Gallery / Alexander Soutzos Museum, the Municipal Art Gallery of Athens etc. He was a member of the Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece. He died in Athens on 26/05/1998. For the Greek National Opera, he created the stage designs for the opera Il campanello dello speziale by Donizetti (1974-1975). // Last update of the biography: December 2015 - The list of productions below is complete.