The architect and painter Georgios Kontaxakis was born in Athens in 1935 and passed away in 2008.
He studied architecture at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts under Dimitris Pikionis, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Yiannis Moralis, and Yannis Tsarouchis.
From 1961 onward, he lived in Thessaloniki, where he worked as a professor in the Department of Architecture and the Department of Visual and Applied Arts at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh).
He engaged deeply with the theory and practice of architecture, aesthetics, and visual media. Initially, his art showed influences from expressionism, later acquiring a constructivist structure modeled after geometric abstraction. In his early works, he did not hesitate to distort form, either through formal foreshortening or through chromatic collapses. In his works from the 1980s, the painted surface became geometric, the object was fragmented, and space was transformed into a kind of theatrical stage. Concurrently, color functioned as a plastico-tactile element, playing a major role in the structural composition. In any case, his work is characterized by structural confidence and stands out for its rigorous organization, appearing to be governed by mathematical rules and principles that unify and synchronize the individual planes and motifs.He designed numerous public buildings in Greece and conducted studies for public, outdoor, and indoor spaces.
He was also involved in scenography and poster design, and published articles and studies, including: ‘Color Theory and Practice: Harmony of Co-planar Colors ‘(Thessaloniki 1979), ‘Iconographic Notes’ (Thessaloniki 1983), and ‘Inscriptions in Skopelos’ (Thessaloniki 1989), among others.
He presented his work in solo exhibitions in Thessaloniki and in group exhibitions in both Athens and Thessaloniki.
His works are held in the National Gallery of Greece and other collections.
He was a member of the Association of Fine Artists of Northern Greece (SKETBE).