1940
Kefalonia
He is born in Petrikata, Kefalonia. After the Occupation, his family moves to Patras, the city where his earliest formative experiences take shape.
SEARCH AND PRESS ENTER
Memas Kalogiratos
Aura
1973 · Sculpture
The work
A sculptural figure seemingly animated by the air
Aura is a figure in motion, poised between earth and air. It stands as a silent presence, yet one that feels intensely alive.
The work brings together essential elements of Memas Kalogiratos’s sculptural language: the human figure, inner tension, the material presence of the surface, and the relationship between body and space. The body, the garment, the folds, and the posture function as a unified sculptural gesture, while the figure remains inward-looking, almost ritualistic.
Memas Kalogiratos
Memas Kalogiratos’s artistic journey begins in Kefalonia and Patras, continues through the Athens School of Fine Arts, and develops into a deeply personal sculptural path. In his work, the human figure, memory, matter, and inner tension converge into a language that is authentic, human-centred, and enduring.
1957
First apprenticeship
He meets the icon painter and artist Georgios Papadimitriou, known as “Phaon”, and is introduced to the discipline of image-making and form.
1960–1966
Athens School of Fine Arts
He studies sculpture in Athens, first under Giannis Pappas and later under Thanasis Apartis, receiving distinctions during his studies.
1965
First public presentation
While still a student, he holds his first solo exhibition at the Municipal Gallery of Patras.
1970s
Solo exhibitions and monumental sculpture
During the 1970s, he presents his work at the Ora Cultural Centre in 1970, at Studio Gallery in 1971, and at the Aretousa Hotel in 1973. At the same time, he participates in group exhibitions and in competitions for public monuments.
1985–2008
Kefalonia, Athens, and new presentations
Important solo exhibitions follow at the Cultural Centre of Kourkoumelata in 1985, the Philharmonic Hall of Argostoli in 1987, Entasis Gallery and the Psychiko Art Hall in 1995. In 1998 and 2001, he exhibits at Ersi Gallery, while in 2003, 2004, and 2008 he presents works at Polytropon Gallery, at the Castle of Saint George in Kefalonia.
2015
Sculpture Collection
The study Memas Kalogiratos Sculpture Collection is published, dedicated to the artist’s work, bibliography, and creative course.
2022
Hephaestus Bound
With the support of the Hellenic Diaspora Foundation, a volume is published on his house-museum, studio, and sculpture collection in Kefalonia.
2022
Tragic Muse
In Athens, the retrospective exhibition Tragic Muse presents the tragic, human-centred, and existential core of his sculpture.
2022
The Return
In Patras, the retrospective exhibition The Return is presented at the Hellenic Diaspora Foundation, marking the artist’s return to the city where he lived, grew up, and made his first artistic appearance.
2025
Matter and memory
Works by Kalogiratos are presented at the Archaeological Museum of Patras in the exhibition Alive Heritage: Matter and Memory – Greek Artists of the Diaspora.
2025
Syros
In Ermoupoli, the exhibition The Inner Form: Sculptural Pulsations of Memas Kalogiratos highlights his relationship with bronze, the human figure, silence, and the memory of matter.
2025
Reception into Memory
At the Port of Patras, his sculptures enter into dialogue with the sea, movement, memory, and the experience of the Diaspora.