In 1957, she moves to Paris when she studies painting at the École des Beaux-Arts. Her early paintings and sculptures bring to bear both academic techniques and uncanny and diverse influences, such as Baroque and Cycladic traditions. Her style quickly evolves to include more geometric lines, inspired by Cubism, Maya and Olmec art, and more generally, pre-Colombian art.
When she begins sculpting in the 1970s, her work is figurative. The 1980s mark a perceptible change as she looks to further freedom, turning towards a form of humanized abstraction, in which she integrates flatter shapes. The 1990s are characterized by her first monumental sculptures, applying contrasting colours to her use of patina, preserving while revisiting her work’s endless sensuality and expressive quality.
She uses a large panel of techniques to express the essence of her art. Initially specializing in bronze, marble and silver for her sculptural work and in oil, charcoal and watercolour for her paintings, she quickly adds collage, then bas-reliefs and “wearable sculpture” jewelry to her repertoire, constantly coupling geometric lines and sensual curves.
Biography
Born in Vari, near Athens, Greece.
From a Greek father and a Hungarian mother.
Lives in Greece.
Lives in Switzerland.
Goes back to Greece and pursues her studies.
Completes her studies in London.
Starts painting.
Sophia Vari meets Maria Callas.
Studies painting at the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris.
Goes back to Greece.
Gets married.
Discovers Egypt.
Lives in Paris and in Greece.
Birth of her daughter Ileana.
Visits the studio of Jean Souverbie in Paris.
First solo show at Woodstock Gallery, London.
Meets Henry Moore.
First shows in UK, Germany and France.
Moves into her first studio, rue de Monceau in Paris.
Solo shows in Paris, Houston, New Orleans and at the Modern Art Museum of Sao Paolo.
Solo show at Coe Kerr Gallery, New York.
Paints a series of paintings inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy.
Moves into her new studio, rue de l’Arrivée (Montparnasse) in Paris.
Starts sculpting.
Solo show of the "Divine Comedy” series, organised by her art dealer Alexandre Iolas at Galerie Desmos, Athens.
The National Pinacoteca of Athens buys her triptych Adam et Eve Chassés du Paradis par l’Ange Gardien.
Solo show at the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon.
Divorces.
Meets Fernando Botero, with whom she lives between France, Italy, Colombia and the US.
Teaches painting in her own studio and studies various techniques.
Solo show at the Fondation Veranneman, Kruisem, Belgium, followed by several others.
Solo show at Aberbach Gallery, New York.
Meets Nohra Haime, who will become her art dealer for the US.
Juana Mordo shows her works in his gallery in Madrid.
Participates in the Art Basel art fair.
Solo shows in France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, the US, Colombia and Venezuela.
Participates regularly in art fairs including FIAC, ICAF, SAGA, CIAE, RVS Fine Arts, Salon d’Octobre,
La Mastice Fine Art, Internazionale Scultura, CIAE, Art Miami, The Art Show, Art New York International,
Arte Fiera Padova, Maastricht Fair, Art Chicago, St’Art, Biennale des Antiquaires, Arte Feria, Art Paris
Spends more and more time in Pietrasanta, Italy.
First solo show at Nohra Haime Gallery, New York, followed by several others.
First solo show at Galerie Eolia, Paris.
First solo show at Galleria d’Arte Il Gabbiano, Rome, followed by several others.
Creates for the first time miniature sculptures shaped to be jewels.
Shows a big marble sculpture at Galerie Eolia, Paris.
Starts sculpting in monumental scale.
Shows at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas Sofía Ímber.
Participates in the Biennale de la Sculpture de Monte-Carlo.
The city of Paris buys her monumental sculpture Là-Haut Rien Ne Bouge ou Femme Multipliée Par Deux.
Starts creating assemblages on canvas.
Shows at the Gallery Sala Gaspard, Barcelona.
From then on, lives one month every year in Mexico and studies Maya and Olmek sculpture.
Release of the book Small Scale Sculptures, published by Nohra Haime Gallery Editions, New York.
Wins the Acquisition Prize at the Biennale of Sculpture of Fujisankei, Utsukushi-ga-hara Open-Air Museum, Japan.
Participates in the Biennale of Sculpture of Amsterdam.
Participates in Skulptura, Montreal.
Exhibition at the Salon de Mars in Paris, of sculptures and assemblages on canvas
Shows for the first time at Galerie Frank Pages, Baden-Baden, followed by several others.
Her monumental sculpture Trouble Essentiel is shown on Leopoldplatz, Baden-Baden.
Her sculpture Serpents de la Guerre is shown on Wittelbacherplatz, Munich, as part of the exhibition “Le Printemps en Bavière.”
Retrospective show at the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio.
First solo show of jewels-sculptures at Naïla de Monbrison Gallery, Paris.
First solo show of assemblages on canvas at Nohra Haime Gallery, New York.
Shows at Galleria La Subbia, Pietrasanta.
The Wichita State University, Kansas, inaugurates the Plaza of the Heroines around her sculpture Danseuse Espagnole.
Solo show of monumental sculptures with Nohra Haime Gallery at the Art Show, New York.
First solo show of polychrome sculptures at Nohra Haime Gallery, New York.
Release of her monograph published by Paola Gribaudo and Justin Spring at Rizzoli International in English;
Fabbri Editori in Italian; Villegas in Spanish; and Cercle d’Art in French.
First solo show at Galerie Pièce Unique and the École des Beaux-Arts de Paris, followed by several others.
Shows at Arij Gasiumasen Gallery, Palm Beach.
Her monumental sculpture Là-Haut Rien Ne Bouge is set up at the Hilton Hotel in New York.
The city of Athens invites her to show monumental sculptures on Kotzia Square
and her sculpture-fountain Thésée is set up to stay in the middle of the square.
The private art dealer Magda Baltoyanni represents her work in Greece.
Retrospective show at the Palazzo Bricherasio, Torino.
Solo show at FIAC, Paris with Galerie Pièce Unique.
Participates regularly in art fairs including Salon de Mars, Art Bruxelles, Art Paris,
St’Art, Artissima, Torino Art Fair, Frankfurt Art Fair, The Art Show, FIAC, Art Basel, Art Miami, Art 20,
MIART, Maastricht Fair, Pavillon des Antiquaires et des Beaux-Arts, Art Paris Abu Dhabi.
Retrospective show at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Florida.
Retrospective show at the Ludwig Museum, Koblenz.
The city of Geneva invites her to show monumental sculptures and assemblages on canvas.
Solo show of monumental sculptures in Baden-Baden.
First solo show of jewels-sculptures with Liliane Sicard Gallery, Geneva, followed by several others.
Solo show of monumental sculptures at the Palazzo Vecchio and on Piazza de la Signoria, Florence.
Participates in group shows in New York, Palm Beach and Biarritz.
Collaborates with Baccarat for her jewels-sculptures in Paris.
The city of Pietrasanta invites her to show monumental sculptures, paintings, watercolours and assemblages on canvas in the church of San Agostino
and on Piazza del Duomo.
Shows jewels-sculptures with Baccarat in Geneva and Athens.
Participates in a group show in Biarritz.
Retrospective show at the Benaki Museum, Athens.
The city of Rome invites her to show monumental sculptures on Piazza Esedra.
Solo show at the National Art Gallery of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Solo shows in Sevilla, Grenada and Gerona.
Solo show of monumental sculptures in the area of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris.
Solo shows in Paris and Monterrey.
Solo show of monumental sculptures in Moncalieri-Torino.
Is commissioned for a series of monumental sculptures and reliefs for Alberto Pinto, Paris.
First solo show at Galleria d’Arte Contini, Venice.
Solo show of monumental sculptures and paintings in Tenerife.
Solo show at the Confucius Temple, on the occasion of the Olympic Games of Beijing.
Solo show of monumental sculptures in the Gardens of Boulingrins, Monte Carlo.
Participates regularly in art fairs including Salon de Mars, Art Paris, St’Art, Frankfurt Art Fair, The Art Show - The Armory, FIAC, Art Basel, Art Miami, MIART,
Maastricht Fair, Pavillon des Antiquaires et des Beaux-Arts, Art Paris Abu Dhabi, Torino Art Fair, Art Karlsruhe, Arte Feria, Art Verona, Art Dubai,
Art Chicago, The Athens World Fine Art Fair.
Paintings and sculptures specially created for private yachts and the Costa Deliziosa and Costa Luminosa cruise ships.
First solo show at the J&P Fine Art Gallery, Zürich.
Publication by Editions de La Martinière of a bilingual (French-English) book presenting twenty years of sculpted jewelry including a descriptive catalogue.
Text written by Laurence Mouillefarine; photography by Philippe Garcia. Numerous signing exhibitions in France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, the US, and more.
Solo show of monumental sculptures in the area Paso de la Castellana in Madrid.
First solo show at the Louisa Guinness Gallery & Ben Brown Fine Arts, London.
Solo show of monumental sculptures in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, and inaugural exhibition at the NH Galeria.
Solo show of monumental sculptures, sculptures and paintings in the Palazzo della Borsa, Genova.
First solo show of jewels-sculptures
at the Galleria d’Arte Contini, Venice and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
First solo show of jewels-sculptures at Nohra Haime Gallery, New York.
First solo show of jewels-sculptures at MiniMasterpiece Gallery, Paris.
Solo show of sculptures and paintings at the Pera Museum, Istanbul.
First solo show of jewels-sculptures at the Gary Nader Art Centre, Miami.
Solo show of sculptures, paintings and jewels at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, Andros.
First solo show at the Piretti Art Gallery in Knokke-le-Zoute.
First solo show at the Contini Art UK Gallery, London.
First solo show of monumental sculptures,
sculptures, paintings and jewels-sculptures at Galerie Dumonteil, Shanghai.
Publication by Glitterati Editions of a book in English, Forms and Colors. Text written by Carter Ratcliff. Signing exhibition at Nohra Haime Gallery in New York.
First solo show of jewels-sculptures and silver sculptures at Galerie Gmurzynska in Saint Moritz.
Participates in “Medusa - Jewelry and Taboos” at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.
First solo show at Art of the World Gallery in Houston, Texas.
Amnesty International and the Athens International Airport are partners for the production and permanent installation of a tapestry
made from a painting of the series “I Love Greece” at Athens International Airport.
First solo show of 16 monumental sculptures at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Athens.
Participates in “From Calder to Koons,
Artist’s Jewelry - The Ideal Collection of Diane Venet” at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.
Participates in “Ambiguous Objects - Contemporary Jewelry, a Passion” at Bozar, Brussels.
Exhibits for the first time at Custot Gallery, Dubai.
First solo show of jewels-sculptures and sculptures at Collectors Gallery, Brussels.
Solo show “Beauty & Harmony: Jewelry, Painting & Sculpture by Sophia Vari” at Louisa Guinness Gallery, London.
Solo show “Sophia Vari Forms & Shapes” at Galerie MiniMasterpiece, Paris.
Participates in “Artists Jewelry from Picasso to Koons - Diane Venet Collection” in Monte Carlo and Luxembourg.
Exhibits for the first time at Waddington Custot Gallery in London and in Paris in association with the gallery Clavé Fine Art.
Exhibits a monumental sculpture on London’s New Bond Street in collaboration with Waddington Custot Gallery.
Exhibits 3 monumental sculptures on London’s Smithson Plaza in collaboration with Waddington Custot Gallery.
First solo show of jewels-sculptures at Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery, London.
Passed away in Monaco on May 5th
Collections
Fondation Verannemann, Kruisem
Museum of Antioquia, Medellín
Museo Fundación Botero, Luis Ángel Arango Library, Bogotá
City of Cartagena de Indias
Museum of Outdoor Sculpture, Paris
National Gallery of Art-Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Athens
Benaki Museum, Athens
Vorres Museum, Paiania
National Pinacoteca, Athens
Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, Modern Art Museum, Andros
Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, Modern Art Museum, Athens
Pieridis Museum, Athens
City of Athens, Kotzia Square
City of Pietrasanta
Museo degli Argenti, dept. Gioiello Contemporaneo, Palazzo Pitti, Florence
Costa Crociere, Genova
Utsukushi-ga-hara Open-Air Museum
Museo de Art de Ponce en Puerto Rico, Ponce
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon
Musée de la main UNIL-CHUV, Lausanne
Museum Beelden aan Zee, The Hague
Wichita State University, Plaza of the Heroines, Wichita, Kansas
Hilton Hotel, New York
Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita, Kansas
Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas Sofía Ímber, Caracas
Exhibitions
Woodstock Gallery, London - UK
Schmacher, Munich - Germany
Espace Cardin, Paris - France
Mayor’s Parlor of Gallier Hall, New Orleans, Louisiana - US
Jasper Gallery, Houston, Texas - US
Museum of Modern Art, São Paulo - Brazil
Coe Kerr Gallery, New York - US
Galerie Desmos, Alexandre Iolas, Athens - Greece
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon - Portugal
Fondation Veranneman, Kruisem - Belgium
Aberbach Fine Art Gallery, New York - US
Galeria Juana Mordo, Madrid - Spain
Fondation Veranneman, Kruisem - Belgium
Nohra Haime Gallery, New York - US
Galerie d’Eendt, Amsterdam – The Netherlands
Galerie d’Athènes, Athens - Greece
Galerie Eolia, Paris - France
Galeria Alfred Wild, Bogotá - Colombia
Galeria Thaeco, Cali - Colombia
Fondation Veranneman, Kruisem - Belgium
Galleria d’Arte Il Gabbiano, Rome - Italy
Nohra Haime Gallery, New York - US
Galerie d’Athènes, Athens - Greece
Galerie Eolia, Paris - France
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas Sofía Ímber, Caracas - Venezuela
Nohra Haime Gallery, New York - US
Galleria d’Arte Il Gabbiano, Rome - Italy
Sala Gaspar Galeria d’Art, Barcelona - Spain
Galleria d’Arte Il Gabbiano, Rome - Italy
Nohra Haime Gallery, New York - US
Fondation Veranneman, Kruisem - Belgium
Nohra Haime Gallery, New York - US
Salon de Mars, Nohra Haime Gallery, “Sculptures and Assemblages on Canvas”, Paris - France
Galerie Frank Pages, “Sculptures and Assemblages on Canvas”, Baden-Baden - Germany
Studio d’Arte La Subbia, “Sculptures and Assemblages on Canvas”, Pietrasanta - Italy
Galerie Naïla de Monbrison, “Jewels”, Paris - France
Butler Institute of American Art, “Retrospective Show” Youngstown, Ohio - US
Nohra Haime Gallery, “Assemblages on Canvas”, New York - US
Galleria Terzo Millennio, “Jewels”, Milan - Italy
The Art Show, Nohra Haime Gallery, “Sophia Vari: Monumental Sculptures”, Seventh Regiment Armory, New York - US
Nohra Haime Gallery, “Polychrome Sculptures”, New York - US
Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita, Kansas - US
École des Beaux-Arts, Galerie Pièce Unique, Paris - France
Galerie Pièce Unique, Paris - France
Arij Gasiumasen Gallery, “Polychrome Sculptures”, Palm Beach - US
City Hall of Athens, “Monumental Sculptures”, Kotzia Square, Athens - Greece
Palazzo Bricherasio, Torino - Italy
FIAC, Galerie Pièce Unique, Paris - France
Nohra Haime Gallery, New York - US
Salon de Mars, Liliane Sicard, “Jewels”, Geneva - Switzerland
City of Geneva, “Sophia Vari: Monumental Sculptures”, Street of the Constitution, Geneva - Switzerland
Artrium, “Sculptures and Assemblages on Canvas”, Geneva - Switzerland
Ludwig Museum, “Sophia Vari: Monumental Sculptures and Assemblages on Canvas”, Koblenz - Germany
Liechtentaler Allee at Augustplatz, “Sophia Vari: Monumental Sculptures Outside”, Baden-Baden - Germany
Galerie Frank Pages, “Recent Works”, Baden-Baden - Germany
Boca Raton Museum of Art, “Retrospective Show”, Boca Raton, Florida - US
Nohra Haime Gallery, “Major Recent Sculptures”, New York - US
Galerie Pièce Unique, Paris - France
Galerie Pièce Unique, “Baccarat meets Sophia Vari”, Paris - France
Comune di Firenze, “Monumental Sculptures”, Assessorato alla Cultura, Sala delle Braccia, Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, Florence - Italy
French Embassy in Greece, “Baccarat meets Sophia Vari”, Athens – Greece
Liliane Sicard, “Baccarat meets Sophia Vari”, Geneva - Switzerland
Pavillon des Antiquaires et des Beaux-Arts, Liliane Sicard, “Jewels”, Paris - France
Comune di Pietrasanta, “Sophia Vari at Pietrasanta”, Assessorato alla Cultura, Chiesa San Agostino and Piazza del Duomo, Pietrasanta - Italy
Nohra Haime Gallery, “Nevelson/Vari: a Dialogue”, New York - US
Benaki Museum, Athens - Greece
Musée Baccarat and Ileana Bouboulis Fine Arts, “Sophia Vari”, Paris - France
City of Rome, “Monumental Sculptures”, Piazza Esedra, Rome - Italy
National Art Gallery, “Balai Seni Lukis Negara Exhibition”, Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
Casa de Risparmio, “La General”, Granada - Spain
Santa Inès de Sevilla, "La General”, Sevilla - Spain
Caixa de Gerona, “La General”, Gerona - Spain
City Hall of the 6th Arrondissement, Saint-Germain Committee, Didier Imbert Art Productions, “Sophia Vari at Saint-Germain-des-Prés”, Paris - France
Nohra Haime Gallery, New York - US
Città di Moncalieri, “Sophia Vari. Monumental Sculptures at Moncalieri”, Moncalieri/Torino - Italy
Galerie Pièce Unique, Paris - France
Palacio de la Aduana, Málaga - Spain
Galeria Ramise Barquet, Monterrey - Mexico
Galleria d’Arte Contini, Venice - Italy
CajaCanarias, Cultural Center, Tenerife - Tenerife
CajaCanarias, Cultural Center, La Laguna - Tenerife
Gardens of Boulingrins, "15 Monumental Sculptures”, Monte Carlo - Monaco
Confucius Temple, Beijing - China
Nohra Haime Gallery, New York - US
J&P Fine Art, “Sculptures and Watercolours”, Zürich – Switzerland
Artcurial, exhibition of jewelry and presentation of the book Sophia Vari Bijoux Sculptés, Paris - France
J&P Fine Art, exhibition of jewelry
and presentation of the book Sophia Vari Bijoux Sculptés, Zürich - Switzerland
Forum, Monterrey - Mexico
Paseo de la Castellana, “Forma y Color, Monumental Sculptures”, Madrid - Spain
Galerie Pièce Unique & Pièce Unique Variations, “I Love Greece”, Paris - France
Louisa Guinness Gallery & Ben Brown Fine Arts, exhibition of jewelry, paintings, sculptures
and presentation of the book “Sophia Vari Bijoux Sculptés”, London - UK
Cartagena de Indias, “Sophia Vari the Plazas of Cartagena, Monumental Sculptures”, Cartagena de Indias - Colombia
Palazzo della Borsa, “Sophia Vari the Harmonic Evolution of Form”, monumental sculptures, sculptures and paintings, Genova - Italy
Contini Galleria d’Arte, “Sophia Vari Jewels - Sculptures – Paintings”, Venice and Cortina d’Ampezzo - Italy
Galerie MiniMasterpiece, “Sophia Vari Jewels Carved”, Paris - France
NH Galeria, “Acuarelas y Collages”, Cartagena de Indias - Colombia
Nohra Haime Gallery, “Wearable Sculpture”, New York - US
Pera Museum, “Sophia Vari - Sculptures and Paintings”, Istanbul - Turkey
NH Galeria, “Escultura y Obra en Tela”, Cartagena de Indias - Colombia
NH Galeria, “Acuarelas y Collages”, Cartagena de Indias - Colombia
Museum of Contemporary Art of the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, “Sophia Vari Sculptures, Paintings and Jewels”, Andros - Greece
Piretti Art Gallery, “Sophia Vari”, Knokke-le-Zoute - Belgium
Louisa Guinness Gallery, “Scale of Beauty”, London - UK
Galerie MiniMasterpiece, “Sophia Vari”, Paris - France
Contini Art UK, “The Desire and the Form”, London - UK
Galeria El Museo, “Sophia Vari, Pueblos of Colombia”, Bogotá - Colombia
Nohra Haime Gallery, “Sophia Vari in Relief”, New York - US
Nohra Haime Gallery, “Wearable Sculpture”, New York - US
Galerie Dumonteil, “Shadow and Light - Sculptures, Paintings and Jewels”, Shanghai - China
Galerie Gmurzynska, “Magnificent Artist Jewelry”, Saint Moritz - Switzerland
Nohra Haime Gallery, retrospective exhibition, “Sophia Vari: 1989-2016”, presentation of the book Forms and Colors, and jewels, New York - US
Art of the World Gallery, “The Art of Sophia Vari”, Houston, Texas - US
Amnesty International and Athens International Airport, inauguration of the tapestry made from the painting I Love Greece, Athens - Greece
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Culturel Center, “Forms and Contradictions”, 16 monumental sculptures, Athens - Greece
Nohra Haime Gallery, “Sophia Vari”, New York - US
Collectors Gallery, “Sophia Vari, Jewels - Sculptures – Objects”, Brussels - Belgium
Louisa Guinness Gallery, “Beauty & Harmony: Jewelry, Painting & Sculpture by Sophia Vari”, London - UK
MiniMasterpiece, “Sophia Vari Forms & Shapes”, jewels, Paris - France
In collaboration with Waddington Custot Gallery, exhibition of 3 monumental sculptures on London’s Smithson Plaza - UK
Galerie MiniMasterpiece, “Free”, jewels, Paris - France
Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery, jewels, London - UK
