Cyprus 1974: A Harrowing History Told Through Prints

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Cyprus 1974: A Harrowing History Told Through Prints

As 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, various events and cultural performances commemorate that fateful summer of 1974, which profoundly impacted the island and its people. Among these tributes is a remarkable exhibition at the Hambis Printmaking Museum in Platanisteia, showcasing the poignant engravings of Cypriot artists and A Tassou’s significant woodcut, “Cyprus 1974.”

Reflections Through Art

Fourteen acclaimed printmakers contribute their works to this ongoing exhibition, including A Tassou, Telemahos Kanthos, Stas Paraskos, Hambis Tsangaris, Kostas Averkiou, Stelios Stylianou, Andis Hadjiadamou, Panayiotis Larkou, Frixos Papantoniou, Charalambos Krasia, Kostas Economou, Lefteris Economou, Lefteris Olympiou, and Paris Metaxas. Their art encapsulates memories, emotions, and hopes surrounding the events before and after the invasion.

The exhibition features a diverse array of woodcuts, linocuts, silkscreens, collages, and offset prints from the Hambis Printmaking Museum’s collection. Tackling the complex subject of 1974, curator Hélène Reeb has organized the artwork into four distinct sections: Traditional but also Disrupted Cyprus, Coup, Invasion; Executions and Divided and Devastated Cyprus; Refugees and Missing Persons; Hopes.

“The curator sought to provide a comprehensive portrayal of Cyprus, capturing the period before the tragic events, the tragedy itself, and the ensuing hope,” explains Hambis Tsangarides. The exhibition includes powerful images of war, young soldiers, displaced Cypriots, Archbishop Makarios, and endless tombs transforming hills into graveyards, alongside A Tassos’ renowned woodcut of a refugee child against barbed wire.

Significance of A Tassos’ Work

A Tassos’ piece holds significant importance, as it was featured on the Refugee Stamp after 1974, raising funds for the Refugee Fund and international awareness. The original woodblock, printed in ten copies post-invasion, now resides in the Presidential Palace.

The exhibition at the Hambis Printmaking Museum in Platanisteia will be open until February 2025, providing a window into the artists’ perspectives and the history that shaped the island. Many of the displayed works were created in the years following the invasion, spanning from 1972 to 2022, reflecting both turbulent historical moments and the passage of decades.

“What stands out in the exhibition,” notes Hambis, “is the love all the artists have for Cyprus and their protest against the misfortunes that befell it.”

Additional Exhibitions

A visit to the Platanisteia museum not only delves into Cyprus of 1974 but also showcases other significant works by printmakers from Cyprus and Greece. Two additional exhibitions are currently on display:

Greek and Cypriot Printmakers in France (1920-2000): This group exhibition features works by printmakers of Greek and Cypriot origin who spent parts of their lives in France. It will run until March 2025.
Hambis the Illustrator: This exhibition presents artworks by Hambis Tsangaris, created over 46 years from 1973 to 2019. It will also remain open until March 2025.

At the Hambis Municipal Printmaking Museum in Nicosia, the exhibition Engraved Testimonies by artists Stelios Stylianou, Charalambos Krasias, and Hambis Tsangaris revisits the Cypriot tragedies of 1974. The artists will discuss their works and the conditions that inspired them through three separate events. Hambis has already given his talk in early July, while Stylianou will present on July 24, and Krasias on September 4, sharing personal stories and the scars of war through printmaking.

Event Details

Cyprus 1974

Printmaking exhibition by 14 esteemed artists.
Until February 2025.
Hambis Printmaking Museum, Platanisteia.
Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-1pm and 6pm-8pm.
Tel: 25-222772

Engraved Testimonies

Printmaking exhibition by Stelios Stylianou, Charalambos Krasias, and Hambis Tsangaris.
Talk by Stylianou on July 24.
Talk by Krasias on September 4.
Hambis Municipal Printmaking Museum, Nicosia.
8pm. In Greek.
Tel: 22-496930

Greek and Cypriot Printmakers in France (1920-2000)