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Geórgia Kyriakakis was born in 1961, in Ilhéus, state of Bahia. When she was two years old, her family moved to São Paulo, where the artist lives and works.
Between age 16 and 18, she lived in Athens, Greece. This experience had a profound impact on the artist, who became interested in art and started to study drawing.
In 1982, Geórgia enrolled in the Arts program at the Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (FAAP) and graduated in 1986. During this time, she started to participate in group exhibitions, such as E o desenho? (And the drawing?) at Galeria Humberto Tecidos, Eventos (Events) at Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado, and in the 2nd Week of Iberoamerican Arts, where she was awarded with her first prize. Parallel to her artistic production, she starts her didactic activities by teaching art to children and working as a guide at the São Paulo University Museum of Contemporary Art and for the São Paulo Biennale Foundation.
In 1987, she traveled to London, where she stayed for one year and attended the metal-engraving workshop of the Chelsea School of Art.
Geórgia had her first solo exhibition in 1991, at Itaugaleria, in São Paulo, and her didactic activities now included holding workshops at institutions, such as FAAP, Santa Marcelina College, and cultural workshops for the State Culture Department, among others.
From 1991 to 1993, the artist held solo exhibits at Itaugaleria in Goiânia and Vitória, at Funarte’s Macunaíma Project (Rio de Janeiro) and the Centro Cultural São Paulo. She received awards on important national events, such as the Salão Nacional (National Salon), Salão Paranaense de Arte (Paraná Salon on Art), Salão de Arte de Ribeirão Preto (Ribeirão Preto Salon on Art) and the Salão de Arte de Santo André (Santo André Salon on Art). She also started coordinating the Enturmando (Fitting in) project team of the Child and Youth Department, offering arts activities to underprivileged children in its Vila Prudente unit.
In 1994, Geórgia became part of the team of artists of the Adriana Penteado Gallery and participated in the important exhibition Espelhos e Sombras (Mirrors and Shadows), under curatorship of Aracy Amaral, at the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art and the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (Rio de Janeiro).
Her first solo exhibition at the Adriana Penteado Gallery happened in 1995. The same year, the artist was chosen for the internship program for artists Brazilian Project of the European Ceramic Work Centre, in Holland, where she stayed three months.
In 1996, the artist participated in the 18th International Biennale of São Paulo and in the following international exhibitions: Beelden Uit Brasilie, at the Stedelijk Museum, in Schiedam and De Huit Van Witte Dame, in Eindhoven, both in Holland.
In 1997, Geórgia started teaching university by giving sculpture and drawing classes at Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (FAAP), where she still teaches. The following year, she began her post-graduate studies in Visual Poetics under guidance of Carmela Gross at the São Paulo University Communication and Arts School.
In 2001, she earned her Master’s degree in Arts and held a solo exhibition at the Centro Universitário Maria Antônia, in São Paulo. She participated in the exhibit Tangências (Tangencies) at Gabinete de Arte Raquel Arnaud, which from then on started representing her. She received an award for the project O Artista Pesquisador (The researching artist) of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Niterói.
In 2002, Geórgia was awarded the Vitae Arts Scholarship and participated in the exhibits Caminhos do Contemporâneo (Contemporary Paths) at the Paço Imperial in Rio de Janeiro, and Arco02 in Madrid. She held a solo exhibition at Gabinete de Arte Raquel Arnaud and the Museum of Modern Art / Higienópolis, in São Paulo. She also participated in the Faxinal das Artes internship program for artists and exhibition, organized by the Paraná State Culture Department and by the Paraná Arts Museum. She presented her first urban intervention called Na Calada da Noite (In the dead of the night) within the Genius Loci project of the Centro Universitário Maria Antônia.
Still in 2002, she was admitted to the Doctor’s program of the São Paulo University Communication and Arts School, under guidance of Carmela Gross.
The following year, the artist held a solo exhibition at Gabinete de Arte Raquel Arnaud. Of all group exhibitions, the Transparedes intervention stands out, which was presented at Sesc Pinheiros in São Paulo. She also started teaching in the undergraduate and graduate programs of the Centro Universitário Belas Artes. In the second semester, she taught sculpture at the Campinas University Arts Institute as guest artist.
In 2004, Geórgia participated in important national and international exhibitions, such as Natureza Morta (Still Life), under curatorship of Kátia Canton, at Centro Cultural Fiesp and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Niterói; Heterodoxia (Heterodoxy), at Artco Galeria, Peru and São Paulo - 450 anos (450 years of São Paulo), at the Tomie Ohtake Institute, under curatorship of Agnaldo Farias.
In 2006, she received the Doctor’s degree in Arts from São Paulo University and held a solo exhibition at Centro Universitário Maria Antônia with the video installation Forças e Fluxos (Forces and Flows).
In 2007, Geórgia participated in the colloquium Espaços de Arte Contemporânea (Spaces of Contemporary Art) at Campinas University and in the exhibitions: Transparências (Transparencies) at Gabinete de Arte Raquel Arnaud and CtrlC+CtrlV at Sesc-Pompéia, both in São Paulo, and in A Última Casa / A Última Paisagem (The last house / the last landscape) at Galeria Matias Brotas and Espaço de Arte of the Federal University of Espírito Santo, under curatorship of Agnaldo Farias.
The following year, the spanish Dardo published a book on her work, which was released during the 2008 Arco edition, in Madrid, where Brazil starred as guest country. Under curatorship of Paulo Reis and David Barro, she participated in Parangolé – Fragmentos desde os 90 (Parangolé – Fragments since the 90s) at the Pateo Herreriano Museum in Valladolid, Spain. Under curatorship of Kátia Canton, she also participated in Natureza - Olhar de Artista (Nature - the artist’s view) at the São Paulo University Museum of Contemporary Art.
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