The Municipality of Heraklion, the Deputy Mayorship of Culture and the Heraklion Municipal Art Gallery present the first major retrospective exhibition dedicated to the work of the important Heraklion-born painter Thomas Fanourakis (1915–1993), at the Basilica of St Mark, from 12/5/2026 to 12/9/2026.

Following earlier tributes to his work in 1990 and 2002 (publications of the Vikelaia Municipal Library), the Municipality of Heraklion honours Thomas Fanourakis once again, this time with a large-scale retrospective of his painting, in the city where he lived and worked.

This major exhibition brings together for the first time works from the artist’s Donation to the Municipality of Heraklion and the Municipal Art Gallery, alongside works scattered across museums, collections and private homes throughout Greece. It is made possible thanks to private collectors, museums and institutions who agreed to share their works with the wider public. Their contribution has enabled the realization of this important tribute, hosted at the Basilica of St Mark.

Spanning five decades of artistic activity, the exhibition presents a total of 125 paintings by Fanourakis, from 1940—when he returned to Heraklion after his studies at the Athens School of Fine Arts—to 1984, when he left painting and closed his studio in Benedevi.

Structured in five main sections, the exhibition traces the painter’s journey: from his early steps in watercolour during the difficult years of the Occupation, to the intense experimentation of the 1950s and 1960s, when—like many of his contemporaries—he sought new artistic paths, gradually arriving at the visual language that would define his work in the 1970s and 1980s.

As the exhibition curator and art historian Denise-Chloe Alevizou explains:
“In Fanourakis’ artistic explorations, one reads the adventure of an entire era of modern Greek art, marked by the search for ‘identity’. In his work, as in that of many artists of his generation, the answer emerges through an introspective and persistent dialogue with painting itself.”

The collaboration between the Vikelaia Municipal Library and the Heraklion Municipal Art Gallery, together with the participation of the Society of Cretan Historical Studies and the Historical Museum of Crete, has allowed the inclusion of the important tribute “Thomas Fanourakis & the Art of the Book”. This video installation, presented in a specially designed space within the Basilica of St Mark, highlights a lesser-known aspect of the artist’s work: his artistic direction and book illustration.

The accompanying bilingual catalogue, featuring explanatory texts and photographs of all exhibited works, will be offered by the Municipality of Heraklion, the Deputy Mayorship of Culture and the Heraklion Municipal Art Gallery to the lenders. It will also be available to the public during and after the exhibition at the bookstore of the Vikelaia Municipal Library. This luxurious edition includes full documentation of the exhibition, with the first publication of several previously unknown works by the artist.

The works from the artist’s Donation to the Municipality of Heraklion can be viewed online via the Heraklion Municipal Art Gallery website.

“Thomas Fanourakis. 5 Decades of Painting”
Retrospective Exhibition
12 May 2026 – 12 September 2026
Basilica of St Mark, Heraklion

Organisation:
Municipality of Heraklion, Deputy Mayorship of Culture – Heraklion Municipal Art Gallery
Mayor of Heraklion: Alexis Kalokairinos
Deputy Mayor of Culture: Rena Papadaki-Skalidi

Production Organisation & Project Coordination:
Marianna Yialyti
Organisational Support: Nikos Tsagkarakis

Exhibition Credits
Curator: Denise-Chloe Alevizou
Architectural Design – Lighting Study: Konstantinos Perakis
Translation: Dimitris Vytiniotis
Graphic Design: Konstantinos Perakis
Printing: Kyvos Digital Prints
Artwork Transport: ALFA Dialektakis
Construction – Installation: Heraklion Inn
Insurance: Karavias Underwriting Agency
Photography – Video: Fotomaris

Publication Credits
Editing – Texts: Denise-Chloe Alevizou
Translation – Editing: Dimitris Vytiniotis
Artwork Photography: Fotomaris Photography, Vasilis Tagkoudis, Kostas Bournazakis, Vikelaia Archives
Art Direction: Konstantinos Perakis
Production: Kyvos Digital Prints

Communication & Promotion: Konstantina Chatzaki
Administrative Support: Directorate of Culture, Department of Culture, Municipality of Heraklion

More information is available on the official website and social media of the Heraklion Municipal Art Gallery.

Official Website: https://heraklionartgallery.gr/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HeraklionArtGallery.gr

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/heraklion_art_gallery/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/He_Art_Gallery

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BasilicaofSt.Mark.gr

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/basilica_of_st_mark.gr