thanasi papapostolou

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Thanasi Papapostolou is a contemporary classical figurative sculptor based in Madison WI whose work challenges anachronistic perceptions of figurative art. His stand-alone pieces use the human figure to explore notions of idealism—of form, structure, and human emotion. His sculptural installations place figurative and architectural pieces in dialogue with one another, removing the human figure from the viewer’s day-to-day experience and re-positioning it within a controlled context.

He received an M.F.A. from the Graduate School of Figurative Art of the New York Academy of Art, a B.F.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, a 4 Year Certificate from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and has studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy.

In addition to life-size statues and contemporary installations, his work includes table-top pieces, reliefs, and portrait busts. His keen observation of the human form and complete command of the technical skills of sculpture allow his work to possess a unique grace and sensitivity. He is also a master draughtsman who focuses, in particular, on figurative and architectural studies.

His work can be found in various private collections in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Greece as well as art institutions such as the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He has received grants from the New York Academy of Art as well as the prestigious Cresson Grand Tour Grant for study in Europe and has held an Honorary Fellowship in the Art Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2018-2019 he was based at the Atelier Gemeinschaft Hawerkamp 31 e.V., Münster, Germany.