Lemnos, 1951
He grew up in Lemnos and later in Kavala, where he completed his secondary education. He studied graphic arts and pursued independent studies in painting, initially with the painter Aristotelis Solounias and mainly with the Greek-American artist Costas Abanavas. He has also engaged in sculpture, writing, and theatre, working as a radio producer and as a stage and costume designer. Between 1976 and 1979, he participated in group exhibitions with creative and educational collectives across various European countries, and from 1981 to 1989, he was actively involved in the cultural life of Lemnos. He now lives and works permanently on the island. From 2009 to 2014, he served as curator of the Gallery of Contemporary Balkan Art in Kontias. Sfounis’s painting aligns with the Surrealist movement. His works feature complex surfaces structured around clear oppositions such as light and darkness, dream and reality. His principal subject is the human body, placed in enigmatic spaces, with transformation as a central theme — expressed through solid draughtsmanship and anti-realist color. Since 1989, he has presented his work in twelve solo exhibitions, including: Antinor Gallery, Athens (1989, 1990); Cultural Center of Nikaia (1994); Galiouri Hall, Municipality of Lemnos, Myrina (2005); “Ilektra Apostolou” Hall, Neo Herakleio (2008); Tobacco Warehouse of the Municipality of Kavala (2009); among others. He has also participated in numerous group exhibitions, such as the ‟1st Artistic Fan Exhibition” at the Athenian Steki Cultural Center (1994; later shown at Fan International in London and the Fan Association of North America in New York), and the ‟Battleship Averof” exhibition organized by the Hellenic Navy (1996; later presented in Copenhagen — European Capital of Culture that year — and in major cities across Greece before becoming part of the Naval Museum collection).