Georgios Zongolopoulos (Athens, 1903-2004)
George Zongolopoulos (1903–2004) was born in Athens and studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1924–1930).
From 1930, he worked in the Architectural Department of the Ministry of Education, designing school complexes, churches, and museums, until resigning in 1938 to dedicate himself fully to sculpture.
Georgios Zongolopoulos (Athens, 1903-2004)
George Zongolopoulos (1903–2004) was born in Athens and studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1924–1930).
From 1930, he worked in the Architectural Department of the Ministry of Education, designing school complexes, churches, and museums, until resigning in 1938 to dedicate himself fully to sculpture.
In 1936, he married the painter Eleni Paschalidou-Zongolopoulou.
Awarded a scholarship by the French government in 1949, he continued his studies in Paris under sculptor Marcel Gimond. By 1952, with a Greek State Scholarship Foundation grant, he specialized in bronze casting techniques in Italy. The following year, he became a member of the Société Européenne de Culture (European Cultural Society) and served on its Executive Committee from 1960 to 1988.
From the 1970s until the late 1990s, he and Eleni maintained a Parisian studio, actively participating in the city’s art scene
The “eternal adolescent”…
Dubbed the “eternal adolescent” for his relentless innovation, Zongolopoulos explored harmony and proportion in his art.
His works earned international acclaim and are displayed in prominent public spaces across Greece, Europe, and the Americas, as well as in private collections and museums.
He represented Greece 11 times at Biennale exhibitions (1940–2001),
participated in numerous Panhellenic Exhibitions, and held dozens of solo and group shows worldwide.
In 2004, he established the non-profit George Zongolopoulos Foundation, bequeathing it his and Eleni’s entire artistic output. He passed away later that year.
Today, their Athens home and studio—where the couple worked for over 60 years—is open to the public and serves as the Foundation’s headquarters, dedicated to preserving, studying, and promoting their legacies.
