Froso Michalea, Wall composition

The occasion for creating the piece

Credit Bank commissioned the wall composition from Froso Michalea.

The piece was created in 1973 for the ground floor of the Kolonaki branch, which opened in 1974.

Abstract sculpture at a monumental scale

Following a brief period during which she worked with human forms, Michalea turned to abstract sculpture to explore the relationship between objects and space using plain media and materials.

The wall composition is a typical example of this artistic direction and also of monumental sculptures for public spaces.

The composition is based on austere rectangular masses and is typified by:

• Imposing materials
• Monumental dimensions
• Geometric shapes

The piece showcases the artist’s skill in composing and contrasting different planes, which are mainly laid out into a vertical arrangement.

Her life in a nutshell

Froso Michalea (1936-2001) was born in Larisa. She studied Painting and Drawing under George Bouzianis (1953) and then Sculpture at the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Geneva, Switzerland, under Max Weber and Ηenri Κönig (1954-1958).

She was a founding member of the “Group for Communication and Education in Art” (1976) and a member of the art committee of the National Gallery (1992-1994).

Favourite themes and artistic style

Some central themes in her work are geometry, balance of masses, and the relationship of sculptural compositions to space and the forms of the natural world.

A recognised artist

In 1959 she held her 1st solo exhibition at the Kouros Gallery in Athens. She then held solo exhibitions and participated in group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including:

• Panhellenic (1963, 1965, 1967)
• Salon de la Jeune Sculpture, Paris (1972)
• Triennale, Budapest (1978)
• Europalia, Brussels (1982)
• “Metamorphoses of the Modern”, National Gallery (1992)

The work of art in our publications

The wall composition by Froso Michalea is referenced in the Alpha Bank publications:

• The Alpha Bank Collection. Paintings – Prints – Sculptures, edited by Irene Orati. The publication accompanied the same-titled exhibition held at the Benaki Museum in 2005.

Buy the publication The Alpha Bank Collection. Paintings – Prints – Sculpture (Hardcover)  on the Alpha Bank e-shop (only available in Greek).

• The Alpha Bank Collection. Greek Art from 1920 until Today, edited by Irene Orati. The publication accompanied the same-titled exhibition in 2006.

Buy the publication The Alpha Bank Collection. Greek Art from 1920 until Today on the Alpha Bank e-shop.

The wall composition by Froso Michalea is on display at the Alpha Bank branch in Kolonaki.

You can visit it by appointment. Contact us to book your visit.