Paul Soulikias, Institut des artists figuratifs is a Greek artist painter, known primarily for his Canadian landscape scenes.
Biography
Paul Soulikias was born in Komotini, Greece in 1926, and raised in Volos. After the hardships of the German Occupation and the Greek Civil War, he spent time studying art in Athens and in Paris and ultimately settled in Montreal in 1959. His value as an artist-painter was first recognized in 1965 at a competition among Neo-Canadians, where he received the first prize. During the same year, Soulikias participated in the exhibition for Quebec artists, organized by the City of Montreal and was invited by mayor Jean Drapeau to sign the city's Golden Book. He then exhibited his recent works on the Laurentians at the Galerie de la Place for which The Montreal Star art critic Michael Ballantyne praised him and spoke of his 'ravishing harmonies'. In 1966, Soulikias was married to educator Helen Kantza and began dedicating himself fully to painting by rendering artistically the Canadian autumn and winter. By 1967, his paintings were shown in known Montreal galleries such as the Galerie Moos Inc. and Galerie Gauvreau and in 1968 he began a long collaboration with Galerie L'Art français. On one of his exhibitions there, art critic Hélène Ouellet wrote:
...by his grasp of landscape, this European artist is renewing the rich tradition of the Group of Seven and of all those Canadian artists who have made nature their guide and inspiration.
By 1974, he began his association with The Dominion Gallery and in 1982 the gallery's owner, Dr Max Stern offered him a joint exhibition together with sculptor Henry Moore which was associated with the presentation of a book on Paul Soulikias' works published in the Marcel Broquet Signatures series. Since then, he has exhibited his works in Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, New York, Athens and elsewhere in Canada, the USA and Greece. A second book was published in November 1996 for which an exhibition was held at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. In 1997 the Canadian Embassy in Greece organized an exhibition for Soulikias in Thessaloniki as part of Canada's representation in that city's European Capital of Culture events. In 2004, he was honoured by the Olympic City of Nea Ionia with an exhibition as part of the cultural events of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. For the exhibition in October 2006 to mark the artist's eightieth birthday, the art critic Robert Bernier wrote:
Paul Soulikias did not only last but has also contributed to the adventure of painting of the twentieth century in Quebec...and continues.
Paul Soulikias is a figurative artist painter with influences from expressionism. Critics have repeatedly praised his colour harmonies and composition as opposed to detail, his warm tones and personal style. Apart from the Laurentians, his work has been informed by several travels, primarily in Greece, the Northeastern United States and the Maritimes as well as from his visit to Mexico in 1982. A large number of his paintings are still lifes and portraits, chiefly female. Although the majority of his work is in oil colours, he has also worked in gouache, watercolours, charcoal and mixed media.
