Giorghos Vakalopoulos (Vakalo)

Born in Constantinople in 1902 or 1904. Began painting lessons at an early age. In 1919 he went to Paris to study painting and stage design. He studied at the School of Decorative Arts at the Louvre, Académie Julian and Collège Charles Dullin d’Yenne. During the twenty years (1919-1939), he lived in France, he was influenced by the Surrealistic Movement. His first engagement as stage designer was in Paris, 1931. During the ten year period 1930-1940, he held exhibitions of his paintings and worked frequently as stage designer with major Parisian theaters. He officially represented the French theater in international exhibitions and collaborated with leading French directors of the era. He returned to Greece in 1940. In Athens, he worked as set and costume designer with renowned directors in all State, as well as private theaters. He created the sets and costumes for productions of Aristophanes’ comedies by the National Theatre of Greece. At the same time , he participated in painting exhibitions in Greece and abroad. He was particularly involved with illustration and wrote an essay on stage design. During the 2-year period 1957-1958 he founded the first school for Decorative Arts in Greece, where he taught decoration and stage design (1958-1978). In France he was awarded First Prize for Painting at the Paris International Exhibition (1938) and title of Knight of the Légion d’ honneur. He died in Athens on 10/02 / 1991. For forty years ( 1948 – 1988) he created sets and costumes for the Greek National Opera for 19 works (operas, operettas, ballets) in 50 productions and / or revivals . Among these were the premiers of Samson et Dalila (1950-51, Odeon of Herodes Atticus), Fedora, Dido ( Lavragas), Der fliegende Holländer, Le nozze di Figaro, La forza del destino.

Source: Greek National Opera – Educational Virtual Museum