Nestoras Matsas was born in 1935 in Athens, where he also died in 2012. He was the brother of the actor Artemi Matsas.
He studied journalism, theater, and cinema in Paris on a scholarship from the French government.He served as a visiting professor at foreign universities, a lecturer in the educational seminars of ESIEA (Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers), a journalist, and an author. He wrote 35 books, including novellas, short stories, novels, children’s literature, and biographies, which were translated into numerous foreign languages and received various distinctions. He was also a screenwriter and director of educational films. He shot 170 short and feature-length documentaries on Greek folklore, many of which were honored with international awards and distinctions. Additionally, he created and hosted more than 1,000 shows on Greek television, mostly focusing on folklore themes.
For his rich career, he was honored with numerous distinctions, including: the Academy of Athens Award, the State Award for Biographical Novel, the Hans Christian Andersen International Diploma of Merit, the City of Athens Award, the Botsis Foundation Journalism Award, the Thessaloniki International Festival Award, the Silver Cup of the Italian Ministry of Education, the Gold Medal of the Marseille International Tourism Film Festival, an honorary diploma from the 1970 Cannes Film Festival, and an honorary diploma from the 1971 Rome International Festival, among others.
His painting style aimed to be “a bridge between impressionism and modern, non-representational painting.” He presented his artwork in solo exhibitions in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Paris.