The painter Yannis Migadis was born in Heraklion in 1926 and passed away in Athens in 2017.
He studied painting at the Athens Supreme School of Fine Arts under K. Parthenis (1945–1951). With a scholarship from the University of Athens endowment, he went on to study stage and costume design at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris under F. Labisse and J. Noël.
His subjects are drawn from everyday human life. His most characteristic works include portraits inspired by old photographs, as well as landscapes featuring people near the sea. His poetic mood is further emphasized by his soft-toned color palette.
Concurrently, he worked as a stage and costume designer for the National Theatre of Greece, the State Theatre of Northern Greece, the Free Theatre (Elefthero Theatro), and both Greek and foreign cinema. He illustrated books, magazines, and calendars, and published articles in literary and art journals.
From 1953 to 2008, his work was presented in solo exhibitions (such as “Polyplano” in 1980 and “Athens Art Gallery” in 1985), as well as in group exhibitions in Greece (Panhellenic Exhibitions 1952, 1960, 1967, 1975, 1987; “Techni” Macedonian Fine Arts Society 1968; National Gallery 1993–1994 and 1998) and abroad (Chicago 1974, Paris 1978, Basel 1979).
His works are held in the National Gallery–Alexandros Soutzos Museum, the Vorres Museum, banks, ministries, as well as other public and private collections in Greece and abroad.
In 1998, he was awarded by the Academy of Athens for his artistic contribution, and in 2007, he was honored with the “Nikos Kazantzakis Prize” by the Municipality of Heraklion.