General Course Description – Objectives

The Fresco and Icon Painting Technique Studio aims to cultivate an artistic consciousness grounded in the collective visual heritage of Greece, as shaped by ancient Greek, Byzantine, and post-Byzantine culture and its continued evolution to the present day. The studio curriculum is structured into three annual cycles across six semesters, with students having the option to attend for one to three years. This Studio may be selected from the third through the eighth semester of studies within the Department of Visual Arts at the Athens School of Fine Arts.

The first cycle is introductory and focuses on both technical and theoretical aspects of Greece’s painting tradition, from ancient Greek to Byzantine and post-Byzantine art. During the first two semesters, students are trained in the full range of techniques related to traditional painting practices, enabling them to apply these on both portable and mural painting surfaces. They are also introduced to the visual and stylistic concerns of this artistic heritage and are encouraged to apply them in practice. Learning begins with an exploration of styles and techniques, which students are expected to comprehend and master both theoretically and practically. The development of each student’s personal artistic identity is a central aim throughout their studies.

This introductory cycle also welcomes students who wish to enrich their personal work by exploring the artistic and technical practices associated with the studio’s discipline.

Students wishing to further deepen their understanding and engage with more complex visual art issues may opt for the second cycle. During this year, having already gained familiarity with and successfully applied traditional painting techniques, students are introduced to functional painting as it emerges from ecclesiastical art. The aim is to prepare students to meet the professional and artistic demands of the field at a high level.

The third cycle offers specialisation in the subject matter and allows for a deeper exploration of contemporary representational and formal issues. Its goal is to help students shape their own visual language, creatively continuing and evolving the tradition. Enrollment in this cycle requires the approval of the studio director.

As an elective compulsory studio within the Painting Division, the Fresco and Icon Painting Technique Studio is closely tied to the division’s core studios, where students develop their contemporary artistic practice. Students may also pursue a thesis project in the subject of the studio -or one that is related in a broader or interdisciplinary way- after approval by the director of their core studio, who oversees the students’ overall artistic and academic development.

 Studio Schedule

Studio hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 17.00-20.00 

Every Monday 16.00-18.00: Drawing practice

Every Wednesday 18.00-20.00: Thematic Presentation & Projection

Office Hours (student affairs): Wednesday 14.00-16.00 

During the semester, the curriculum includes the following educational activities:

• Museum visits

• Visits to churches and archaeological sites

• Lectures by invited artists and art theorists

• Educational excursions

• Workshops at ASFA art stations

Information about these activities and regular updates on studio courses are posted on the studio’s social media page (participation is by approval of the site administrator):

: Full moon on the Dormition with Lightning (icon@asfa.gr) 

Outreach Activities – 2023

• December 9
  Educational visit by the Fresco and Icon Painting Technique Studio to the Pavlos & Alexandra Kanellopoulos Archaeological Museum

• August 16–23
  “/iko.na/”: Experiential research on contemporary artistic creation and the promotion of intangible cultural heritage in iconographic art, held in the Asterousia Mountains (Heraklion Prefecture).
  A collaboration between the Fresco and Icon Painting Technique Studio (ASFA), the Faculty of Theology (NKUA), and the Department of Audio and Visual Arts (Ionian University).

• March 29 – April 2
  “The Big Dialogue ‘23” in Mykonos
  English-language workshop hosted at the Mykonos art station, led by Professors Ingrid Grünwald and Maarten Cornel from the Royal Academy of Art, University of the Arts The Hague.
  Ten students participated, under the supervision of Associate Professor Dimosthenis Avramidis, focusing on The Philosophy of Art Today.

• December 27 – January 7
  A mural inscription of all surviving fragments of the work of the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus was completed in Room 210 of the Faculty of Philosophy at NKUA, under the overall supervision of Mr. Dimosthenis Avramidis, Director of the Fresco and Icon Painting Technique Studio.
  The project was carried out by the Studio’s Research Team in collaboration with seven students from the Fresco and Icon Painting Technique Studio and one NKUA postgraduate student.

• January 18
  Painter Julianos Kagklis presented his work at the Fresco and Icon Painting Technique Studio in the presence of all students.

Athens School of Fine Arts – Holy Orthodox Archdiocese of Cameroun / Erasmus+ KA171 Project / 2023