The painter and engraver Panayiotis Tetsis was born in Hydra in 1925 and passed away in Athens in 2016.
He took his first painting lessons under D. Pikionis and N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas (1940). He studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts under D. Biskinis, P. Mathiopoulos, and K. Parthenis (1944-1949). He then studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris (1953-1956), where he was taught copper engraving techniques by E. Goerg.
He was a founding member of the Vakalo School.
He also taught at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1976-1992), where he served as Rector (1989).
Starting in 1948, he presented his work in solo and group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, such as the Biennials of São Paulo (1957, 1965) and Alexandria (1959), as well as the International Graphic Arts Exhibitions in Lugano (1960) and Tokyo (1964). Although he was appointed as the representative of Greece at the Venice Biennale, he declined this honorary position due to the political situation prevailing in the country at the time (1970).
He served as a regular member of the Academy of Athens (1993).
Faithful to figurative painting, he developed a personal expressionist style, while emphasizing the use of color and the rendering of light. He drew his themes from everyday life, depicting portraits, landscapes, and still lifes.