George Pol. Georghiou – Timeless Cyprus

To mark Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the European Union (January–June 2026), the A. G. Leventis Gallery presents George Pol. Georghiou – Timeless Cyprus at the Hellenic Centre. Following its acclaimed debut in Nicosia, this exhibition brings together the most extensive selection of Georghiou’s works ever shown abroad. 

A central figure in Cypriot modern art, Georghiou created powerful visual narratives depicting the island’s people, landscapes, traditions, and defining historical moments.

The exhibition includes major works from the 1940s and 1950s, sourced from public and private collections, including pieces recently returned from Famagusta through the bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage. Shown with their original titles, these works offer fresh insight into the artist’s vision and emotional connection to Cyprus. 

Curated by Loukia Loizou Hadjigavriel and Katerina Stephanides, the exhibition introduces UK audiences to the richness and significance of Georghiou’s artistic legacy. 

To help audiences engage more closely with the artist’s work and world, a rich programme of curated tours will run throughout the exhibition period. These tours—led by members of the curatorial and organisational team—will explore the historical background, artistic language and personal stories embedded in Georghiou’s paintings.

Please see the list of exhibition events and book your free ticket.

George Pol. Georghiou – Timeless Cyprus (Day Tickets & Curated Tours):
Book free ticket

Dr Yiannis Toumazis – Lecture & Talk:
Book free ticket

Image credit: George Pol. Georghiou, The Rebirth of Cyprus, 1960

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

George Pol. Georghiou

George Pol. Georghiou (Famagusta, 1901-1972) studied law in London. He worked as a solicitor until 1938, at which time he turned exclusively to painting. A self-taught artist, he learnt from the art of the past and the art of his time through private study and frequent visits to museums and galleries. He developed a productive dialogue with the pursuits of Modernist movements, as well as with the works of older artists, primarily El Greco. He also studied ancient, Byzantine, Gothic and folk art, going on to shape his own distinctive artistic language. His subject matter is dominated by the human form, landscapes with buildings, and compositions featuring religious content or topics from contemporary historical reality.  

During the 1950s, he was particularly active and was the first Cypriot artist to have shown his work outside Cyprus. He presented his work in solo exhibitions in Nicosia (1950, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1963), Oxford (1950), London (1953), Paris (1955), Milan (1956), Basel (1956), Jerusalem (1959) and Athens (1960). In 1999, the Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus organised a large retrospective of his works.