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Yannis Gaitis

Biography Selected works

Biography

Giannis Gaitis studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts and in 1949 participated, with Alekos Kontopoulos and other artists who had turned to abstract art, in the founding of the group “The Extremists”. In 1954 he went to Paris where he completed his studies at the School of Fine Arts and the Grande Chaumiere Academy. Working both in Paris and Athens and having started his exhibition activity in 1944 with a solo show at his studio and then at the Parnassos Hall, he continued to present his work at solo shows in Parisian and Athenian galleries as well as European countries and America while in 1984, a week before his death, a large retrospective was launched at the National Gallery. He participated in numerous exhibitions in Greece and abroad, among which the Sao Paolo Biennales of 1952 and 1967 and the 1982 Europalia in Brussels stand out. His work was also presented in exhibitions after his death including a retrospective at the Vafopouleio Cultural Center of Thessaloniki in 1994. Involved primarily with painting and, on a more limited scale, sculpture and engraving, he started with portraits and quickly moved on to abstract expressionism and surrealist compositions, then cubist and geometric compositions and, at the same time, abstract sculptural compositions of plaster, corresponding to his painting. For a period his creations dealt with insects, little men, birds and plants which suggest an absurd world. Just past the midpoint of the Sixties he began to make his wellknown figure of a little man, which he originally repeated around a central representation and later made into a schematic and standardized figure, constituting a symbol and ironic means of social criticism, repeated in a number of variations. Using this midget as a focus he also created constructions, greater than lifesize sculptural compositions, environments and happenings, which he also transferred to clothes, fabrics and games.”

Selected works

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - COMPOSITION

TITLE: COMPOSITION
MEDIUM: OIL ON CANVAS
DIMENSIONS: 70Χ100 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED AND DATED (68) BELOW. 

(L. Gaïtis-Charrat, Yannis Gaitis, Catalogue Raisonné, Ioannis F. Costopoulos Foundation, Paris/Athens 2003, no. 990, p. 249 (catalogued and illustrated.)


YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: OIL ON CANVAS
DIMENSIONS: 45x38 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED BELOW. 

THE ARTWORK WAS EXHIBITED ΑΤ GALLERIA SCHNEIDER ΙΝ ROME, AND ΑΤ SENNELIER ΙΝ PARIS.


(THE ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A FRAME)

An iconic artwork by Yannis Gaitis featuring his emblematic “Personnages”, symbols of conformity and collective identity within contemporary society. Through simplified forms and a vibrant compositional rhythm, the artist creates a visually compelling commentary on modern human existence.

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - COMPOSITION (UNTITLED)

TITLE: COMPOSITION (UNTITLED)
MEDIUM: OIL ON CANVAS
DIMENSIONS: 65X81 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED BELOW
BIBLIOGRAPHY: (This artwork is presented in the catalogue raisonné of Yannis Gaitis, listed as number 307 on page 133.)

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - COMPOSITION (UNTITLED)

TITLE: COMPOSITION (UNTITLED)
MEDIUM: OIL ON CANVAS
DIMENSIONS: 65X90 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED AND DATED (1960) ON THE BACK

(THE ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A FRAME)

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - COMPOSITION WITH PERSON

TITLE: COMPOSITION WITH PERSON
MEDIUM: OIL ON CANVAS
DIMENSIONS: 50X64 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED BELOW
(THIS ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY BY LORETTA GAITIS.)

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - DEUX FEMMES ET FLEURS JAUNES

TITLE: DEUX FEMMES ET FLEURS JAUNES
MEDIUM: OIL ON CANVAS
DIMENSIONS: 44X64 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED AND DATED (46) BELOW

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGE

TITLE: PERSONNAGE
MEDIUM: CONSTRUCTION WITH PAINTED WOOD
DIMENSIONS: 75X60 CM
INFORMATION: SIGNED AND NUMBERED (199/200) BELOW

BIBLIOGRAPHY: This artwork is presented in the catalogue raisonné of Yannis Gaitis, listed as number 1063 on page 262.


In this Composition, Yannis Gaitis brings his distinctive visual language to a painted wood construction, where structural elements and subtle forms engage in a rhythmic, cohesive dialogue. His work, which from the mid-1960s onward centers on the human figure as a universal symbol, contrasts individuality with collective presence, expressing his unique reflection on modern life. A piece that embodies Gaitis’s disciplined yet expressive approach, making it both figurative and symbolic. 
YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: SILKSCREEN
DIMENSIONS: 50x65 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED, NUMBERED (16/200), AND DATED (1971) BELOW

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: SILKSCREEN (E.A.)
DIMENSIONS: 76X62 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED AND NUMBERED (148/175) BELOW (THE ARTWORKS IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A FRAME)

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: GOUACHE ON PAPER
DIMENSIONS: 49,5Χ64 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED BELOW.
THIS ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY BY LORETTA GAITIS.

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: GOUACHE ON PAPER
DIMENSIONS: 49,5Χ64 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED IN THE MIDDLE RIGHT.
THIS ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY BY LORETTA GAITIS.

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: SCULPTURE / WOODEN CONSTRUCTION
DIMENSIONS: 62X31X19 CM
INFORMATION: SIGNED ΟΝ THE BASE

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: GOUACHE ON PAPER GLUED ON WOOD
DIMENSIONS: 64X50 CM.
INFORMATION: THIS ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY BY LORETTA GAITIS.

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES

MEDIUM: SILKSCREEN

DIMENSIONS: 50X65 CM

INFORMATION: SIGNED AND NUMBERED (100/250) BELOW

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: SILKSCREEN (E.A)
DIMENSIONS: 69X55 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED BELOW

(THE ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A FRAME). 

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: SILKSCREEN
DIMENSIONS: 65X50 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED, NUMBERED (181/200) AND DATED (1971) BELOW. (THE ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A FRAME). 

YANNIS GAITIS (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: SILKSCREEN
DIMENSIONS: 65X50 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED, NUMBERED (3/200), AND DATED (1971) BELOW

(THE ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A FRAME). 

YANNIS GAITIS (1923–1984) - LITTLE PEOPLE

TITLE: LITTLE PEOPLE
MEDIUM: GOUACHE ON PAPER
DIMENSIONS: 48Χ65 CM.
INFORMATION: THIS ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY BY LORETTA GAITIS.

YANNIS GAITIS - (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: SILKSCREEN
DIMENSIONS: 44X59 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED, DATED (1971) AND NUMBERED (148/200) BELOW 
(THE ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A FRAME)

YANNIS GAITIS - (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: SILKSCREEN (E.A.)
DIMENSIONS: 68Χ53 cm.
INFORMATION: SIGNED BELOW

This silkscreen, by Yannis Gaitis, is built around his characteristic uniform human figures, arranged in a repetitive visual system that stresses rhythm, structure, and anonymity. Through this serialized arrangement, Gaitis reflects on collective behavior and modern social identity, using reduction of form as a conceptual tool. 

YANNIS GAITIS - (1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES
TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: SILKSCREEN
DIMENSIONS: 50X65 cm
INFORMATION: SIGNED AND NUMBERED (114/250) BELOW. (THE ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A FRAME).

This artwork by Yannis Gaitis features his iconic repetitive human figures, rendered with schematic precision and visual rhythm, forming a unified and structured pictorial field. Through serial repetition and simplified morphology, Gaitis explores themes of collective identity, conformity, and modern social existence, balancing irony with strict compositional order. 
YANNIS GAITIS - COUPLE (1923 - 1984)

TITLE: COUPLE
MEDIUM: SILKSCREEN
DIMENSIONS: 31X23 cm
INFORMATION: SIGNED AND NUMBERED (65/200) BELOW. (THE ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A FRAME).

YANNIS GAITIS - COUPLE IN LOVE (1923 - 1984)

TITLE: COUPLE IN LOVE
MEDIUM: SILKSCREEN
DIMENSIONS: 31X23 cm
INFORMATION: SIGNED AND NUMBERED (65/200) BELOW. (THE ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A FRAME).





YANNIS GAITIS - LITTLE MEN (1923 - 1984)

LITTLE MEN
OIL ON PAPER GLUED ON WOOD
70χ50 CM.
THE ARTWORK HAS BEEN EXCHIBITED IN A PRIVATE COLLECTION AS WELL AS IN GALERIE CRAVEN IN PARIS.
THE ARTWORK CARRIES A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY BY GAITIS FAMILY.

YANNIS GAITIS - LITTLE PEOPLE

LITTLE PEOPLE
PEN ON A PAPER
45X30 CM
SIGNED RIGHT BELOW

YANNIS GAITIS - LITTLE PEOPLE
LITTLE PEOPLE
OIL ON CANVAS
120X100 CM.
SIGNED AND DATED (1967) BELOW
YANNIS GAITIS(1923 - 1984) - PERSONNAGES

TITLE: PERSONNAGES
MEDIUM: SILKSCREEN (E.A)
DIMENSIONS: 69X55 CM.
INFORMATION: SIGNED BELOW

(THE ARTWORK IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A FRAME). 

Άνδρες με ποδήλατα

Θέμα: Άνδρες με ποδήλατα
Υλικό: Ελαιογραφία σε καμβά
Διστάσεις: 50 x 70 εκ
Πληροφορίες: Υπογεγραμμένο στο κάτω μέρος δεξιά

ΑΝΘΡΩΠΑΚΙΑ

ΑΝΘΡΩΠΑΚΙΑ
ΕΛΑΙΟΓΡΑΦΙΑ ΣΕ ΜΟΥΣΑΜΑ
55Χ65 CM.
ΥΠΟΓΕΓΡΑΜΜΕΝΟ ΚΑΤΩ ΔΕΞΙΑ. ΤΟ ΕΡΓΟ ΕΙΚΟΝΟΖΕΤΑΙ ΣΤΟ ΚΡΙΤΙΚΟ ΚΑΤΑΛΟΓΟ ΤΗΣ ΛΟΡΡΕΤΑΣ ΓΑΙΤΗ, ΣΕΛΙΔΑ 216.