Greek from abroad (Constantinople) and son of  a cotton merchant, he inherited his talent from his mother, a portrait painter.

Yanni Souvatzoglou experimented from a very young age on fabric paintings, moved into graphic design where he was introduced to industrial photographic reproductions developing almost three dimentional images.

His skill graphic arts served as a platform for his sculptural structures. At the same time Yanni attends art studies in Athens under the supervision of Prof. P. Tetsis.

Influenced mainly from the Minoan and Cycladic era, he manages often to evoke those images in his concepts.

Since 1980 he maintains an atelier for multiple techniques and art applications however he has not abandoned commercial design many corporation have trusted his creative imagination with various manifestation. His art is collected worldwide. He has enjoyed major shows and been awarded prizes for several pieces of his work and many galleries across the world sell his art.

What They Say About Yanni

Despite his well-earned popularity, Yianni remains as modest and approachable as his quaint little corner shop in Plaka. Surely, you will find yourself near his shop or visiting one of the many galleries which display his works. Remember his name. If you would like to meet Yianni in person, you will find him in his own gallery on Voulis St. after 9pm in the evening. He welcomes your questions, speaks perfect English, and is willing to chat as long as you are! Reiterating his modesty, Yianni has kept his prices unexpectedly affordable and takes great pleasure in his satisfied customers. It is a truly a privilege to take home one of his works. Each one is signed and comes complete with his certificate of authenticity.

Kelly's Notes

Although my visit felt like a series of coincidences and unusual events, I couldn’t help but feel that the happenings on the evening of my visit with Yianni were not unusual at all. I spent a few hours with Yianni discussing the evolution of his culture, art, business, family, and ethical ideas. Throughout our conversation, he was attentive, grateful, generous, informative, excited, and passionate. It was easy for me to envision a customer in his store becoming excited right along with him as he spoke about the inspirations and meanings behind his works. There is always a meaning, and usually a very honest one; one that we can all relate to.

After about an hour, a group of previous customers had stopped by to say good-bye to Yianni and purchase a few more items they hadn’t been able to shake from their minds. I was amazed to see such an interested group. They were all vocal about their own passion for his work and made many unsolicited offers to tell friends and family back home about Yianni. I captured a few photos of them in the store. One of which is Yianni accepting an embrace from one fan in the group. They also took many photos of their own in the shop and all left in the end with smiles of satisfaction.

Over the next hour another couple came in who had miraculously saved Yianni’s business card from 10 years ago. They explained that they had loved his works so much 10 years ago, they had purposely kept the card hoping to return to Greece to see his works again. So there they were, and there was Yianni, like old friends, each so appreciative of the other.

Eventually, Yianni and I wrapped up our conversation and said our goodbyes. He offered gifts to my daughter and she accepted them with great pride. Since that day, I have continued to work with Yianni in hopes to encourage others to also visit his shop. I met his family and found the energy there always pleasant. I hope you can also make time to see his works and perhaps get to know him a bit as well.