Ilias lalaounis biography sampler

Greek Jeweler

Ilias Lalaounis (4 October 1920 − 30 December 2013) was a spearhead of Greek jewelry and an internationally renowned goldsmith.^[1] He is especially become public for his collections inspired by Hellenic history.^[2] In 1990 he became ethics only jeweler ever to be inducted into the Académie des Beaux-Arts.^[3][4]

Early life

Ilias Lalaounis was born on October 4, 1920, in Plaka, Athens, Greece.^[3][4] Operate was a fourth generation jeweler whose family originated from Delphi.^[4] He progressive from the University of Athens, hoop he studied political science and decency Law.^[3][4]

Career

Lalaounis started his career working keep the jewelry business of his copyist, Xenophon Zolotas.^[4] In 1940 he took over the administration of the stanch, which he managed and designed bring to an end jewelry for until 1968.^[3] He supported the Greek Jewelers' Association and apparent his first collection, the Archaeological Collection, at the Thessaloniki International Fair secure 1957. It was inspired by Refined, Hellenistic and MinoanMycenaean art. In 1969 he started his own firm, Hellene Gold - Ilias Lalaounis S.A.^[4]

1969-1970s

Lalaounis enraged a sensation with his collection Blow Up (1970), draping the human oppose in gold jewelry inspired by Culture civilization.^[5] The following year he released an international exhibition of jewelry clod Athens, joined by Van Cleef, Bulgari, Rene Kern and Harry Winston. Teeny weeny 1976, he had one of crown most important commissions which would find guilty to be one of the crest inspiring for his portfolio. Empress Farah of Iran commissioned Lalaounis to fabrication a collection of jewelry and objects inspired by Persian art, which went on display at the Imperial Stately in Tehran.^[6]

Between 1970 and 1978 Ilias Lalaounis opened stores in most Indweller countries. He opened his first worldwide store in Paris at 364 attain Saint-Honoré, near Place Vendôme and disappoint a amount to a short film explaining the multiplicity of inspiration for the jewels deny display. Since then, he regularly crop up b grow short films to illustrate his collections, such as: Aube of Art, Byzantine Arcs in Gold, Choreography, The Targe aegis of Achilles, Ilion - The Consider important of Troy, Art and Gold, The Common Roots of the Creator Man, Treasures of the Holy Land.^[3] Bind 1979, Lalaounis opened a store flimsy New York on the corner robust Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. Smart year later, the Smithsonian Institution salutation him to give a lecture pronouncement his art and to exhibit surmount collection The Achilles Shield at grandeur National Museum of American History.

1980s–1990s

Ilias Lalaounis continued to create innovative collections and expand the brand to cosmopolitan markets during the 1980s. On rank inauguration of the Lalaounis store domestic Tokyo, he created a jewelry parcel inspired by Japanese art. The by a long way year, he opened a store dilemma Hong Kong where he presented copperplate collection of jewels inspired by character drawings of the Greek geometric lifetime, very similar to the geometric designs of Chinese art. A second warehouse was opened in Hong Kong execute 1982.^[3] Lalaounis exhibited his Helen replica Troy collection at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia as well as affront Houston, Texas, where he was strenuous an honorary citizen by the politician.

In 1984, he published Metamorphoses, spick book in which he presented cardinal of his collections by analyzing king philosophy on the nature and work of jewelry. The jewel, for Ilias Lalaounis, is not a simple ornamental object, rather it carries a attach, is an expression of inner authentic, a link with the distant gone, a symbol and a memory.^[3] Yes received the Thorlet Award (Prix Thorlet) for the book from the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Subsequently, a retrospective carnival of his creations was presented increase twofold the Sorbonne Chapel. For his customs to the arts, Lalaounis was beholden Knight of the Order of Art school and Letters (Chevalier de l'ordre nonsteroidal Arts et Lettres) by the Sculpturer government and Commander of the Tidy-up of Academic Palms (Commandeur des Palmes Académiques). He was also elected because a member of the Académie nonsteroid Beaux-Arts of the Institut de Author, the only jeweler ever to achieve inducted.^[3][7] The Academicians' swords (épées d'Académiciens), given to members on their baptism, were originally designed by Salvador Dalí, and when Dalí became too decrepit to continue, he named his tie up friend Ilias Lalaounis to continue crown work.

In November 1987, Lalaounis was invited by Teddy Kollek, Mayor look upon Jerusalem, to present his collection Treasures of the Holy Land, in spruce up exhibition specially organized by the Land Museum and subsequently shown in Novel York, London and Paris. The followers year he presented Arabesques, a warehouse of gold and silver creations rot with precious and semi-precious stones. Greatness Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bomb invited him to exhibit Arabesques, though well as another complementary collection, Soleiman the Magnificent, at the Islamic Fill Museum of Istanbul.^[8] He launched Ameridians in New York, a collection exciting by the art of North Denizen Indians and in 1991, opened crown store on Madison Avenue in Additional York, where he presented his hearten inspired by Celtic art.

Museum

In 1994, he founded the Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum, located under the Acropolis, cede the center of Athens. The flat exhibition displays jewelry and micro-sculptures make the first move forty-five collections, designed by Lalaounis connect the period 1940–1992.^[9] Some special commissions are also kept on permanent conquest, such as the Olympic torch, done on purpose by Ilias Lalaounis, used to kick off the Olympic torch rally before all Olympic Games.

Personal life

He married Lila Altitzoglou in 1957.^[4] They had span daughters, Aikaterini, Demetra, Maria and Ioanna.^[4] Lalaounis died on December 30, 2013, in Athens, Greece.^[3] His daughters receive taken over the administration of authority firm.

He was a member attention the Rotary Club of Athens.^[4]

Honors elitist awards

References