Sochos Antonios

Having a family pedigree in sculpture, he received his first lessons from his father and his uncle, Lazaros Sochos, and went on to study at the School of Arts with Georgios Vroutos. In 1919, he went to Paris on Greek government scholarship, studying at the Academy of Fine Arts and also attending interior design courses. In 1922, he returned to Athens and in 1926 was elected Professor at the School of Architecture, NTUA.

His exhibition history included contributions to major group events in Greece and internationally, including exhibitions with artists’ groups “Omada Techni” and “Stathmi”, of which he was member, Panhellenic exhibitions, Paris Salons, as well as the Biennale of Venice (1934 and 1958) and the Sao Paulo Biennial (1955).

Early on, Antonios Sochos broke free of the dictates of neoclassicism and developed a personal plastic language, based on archaic Greek sculpture as well as the austere style, folk wood-carving, and influenced by the avant-garde trends which he discovered during his stay in Paris. Always focusing on the human figure, his works are inspired by mythology, Greek legends and folklore, made in stone and later wood, and exploring the possibilities offered by the textures of his materials. His works are characterized by abstract tendencies and an inclination for stylisation, balance, symmetry, frontality and immobility, reflecting the artist’s individual perception as well as his diverse influences.