University of Aveiro

Department of Communication and Arts

1st Semester / 4th Year

Project for the course

Curriculum Development And Teaching of Visual Arts I

THE PAST AND THE PRESENT OF ARTISTIC CREATION AND

ART EDUCATION IN CYPRUS

Giorgos Stylianou
59184

Aveiro
February 2011
 Contents

Abstract........................................................................................................................................2
Introduction...............................................................................................................................2
1. Artistic Creation in Cyprus..............................................................................................3
1.1. From Antiquity until the late 19th Century................................................................................3
1.2. From late 19th century to the present.......................................................................................5
1.2.a. Modern and Contemporary Art....................................................................................................5
1.2.b. Folk Art and Crafts and Naive Art...............................................................................................8

2. Art Education in Cyprus...................................................................................................9

2.1. Before 1960..............................................................................................................................9
2.2. After 1960 – The Independence.............................................................................................10
Conclusions...............................................................................................................................15
References..................................................................................................................................16

1
 Abstract

The present paper provides information regarding the Artistic Creation and the Visual Arts
Education in Cyprus as well as the socio-historical background in which they were shaped and
evolved through time. The information is divided mainly by the two main fields that are
mentioned above and their subdivisions which are sorted chronologically. That is to distinguish
the Arts from the antiquity until the present times and the Art Education during the last 100
years, with emphasis on some important historical and political facts which eventually created
the ideal environment for artistic and cultural prosperity in Cyprus.

Introduction
Cyprus is an island located in the Eastern Mediterranean sea between the three continents of
Europe, Asia and Africa. The strategic position and the various natural resources of the island led
many conquerors/visitors there with each and every one of them putting his piece to form the
cultural mosaic of Cyprus. Dating back to around 7000 B.C. when the first Neolithic settlement
was built, we can see the beginning of an endless cultural exchange of Cyprus with its
surrounding civilizations of Egyptians, Assyrians, Phoenicians, Persians and among them the
Greeks, which were the most influential during the ancient times. Later the Romans, Byzantines,
Saracens, the English and the Franks during the Crusades led the way for the Venetians, the
Ottomans and last the English, before Cyprus became independent at 1960.
The inhabitants of Cyprus never rejected their needs for artistic creation of any form and
of any material, despite all the difficulties and the oppression of the constantly changing island’s
authorities. Using originally clay for expressive and functional purposes and later developing the
art of mosaics and Byzantine frescoes they kept their creative spirit alive delivering some of the
most important works of Art of their period and their kind. One of the most damaging periods in
the recent history of Cypriot art is considered to be that of the Ottoman Empire (1571-1878)
whose religion forbade depiction and the only type of art practised then was the Byzantine art
which was supported by the church of Cyprus. The rather apathetic and unconcerned English
who took over the island’s administration next, opened the way for many Cypriot artists to
satisfy their artistic concerns by studying in some of Europe’s most important art centres like
London, Paris and Venice.
A lot of Cypriot artists returned to their home country after their studies, bringing back
with them the trends and the styles of the most influential Art Movements developed then. The
biggest problem that they’ve faced on their return was the illiterateness of the public which
wasn’t educated enough to understand the messages that the artists were trying to express. That
is one of the main reasons why a lot of those artists turned to art education. This phenomenon is
considered very influential for the development of Arts and Art Education in Cyprus, as some of
the most important artists were creating and teaching at public schools at the same time. Those
artists also lead the way for the future artists by founding organizations that support and promote
artistic creation and satisfy their demands and legal rights.
After 1960 the independence of Cyprus helps to shape a more concrete education system
and to improve the working conditions of the artists. Despite the problems caused by the Turkish
invasion in Cyprus at 1974, Arts continue to prosper reaching their peak today, while joining the
European Union at 2004 was an important step for gaining artistic recognition and higher level
Art Education.

2
1. Artistic Creation in Cyprus

1.1. From Antiquity until the late 19th Century

Human beings are born with an innate need for expressing themselves in numerous ways. During
the ancient times and even before the industrial revolution, it was more usual for people to
choose the Visual Arts as a way to express, which is a more direct and a more universal medium.
Another need that led the first humans towards their first creations was the need for worship.
They needed a representation of a higher being to guide them along their everyday life and their
expectations. The combination of those two needs is what brought the creation of the first art
forms in ancient Cyprus. Using clay to create pottery and ceramics and later adding more
functional and decorative elements taken from the surrounding cultural influences the first
creations were built well enough to stay preserved until today.

Image 1. Cross-shaped figure found in Pomos, Cyprus. ~3000 B.C. Cyprus Archaeological Museum.

Except pottery and a particular type of primitive sculpture, another art form that
flourished in Cyprus during the Roman period was that of mosaics. The subjects depicted in
mosaic works of that period usually represent scenes from ancient mythology in Greco-Roman
style. While some elements of that style are preserved the subjects depicted are constantly
enriched with symbols of Christianity during the late 4 th century A.D. when Cyprus passes from
the Romans to the Byzantines. After the 5th century A.D. the Orthodox Church of Cyprus gained
independency by the Byzantine emperor and the Byzantine Art with its particular style and
expressive ability was embraced by the Cypriots. After almost two centuries of peace, during the
7th century A.D. the Saracens constantly invaded and looted the island until the mid 10 th century
when they were defeated by the Byzantines. The Byzantine Art is possibly one of the oldest
types of art in Cyprus and it is kept intact until today since it first appeared. This type of art was
and is still applied as a fresco to decorate the interior of Christian Orthodox churches and it is
also applied in pieces of wood.

3
 Image 2. Mosaic in the House of Dionysus (UNESCO) in Nea Paphos, Cyprus. End of 2nd century A.D.

Image 3. Byzantine fresco in Holy Cross Church (UNESCO) in Pelendri, Cyprus. Mid 14th Century A.D.

As mentioned before, Cyprus’ important strategic position led to the island’s captivity by
the English (1191 A.D.) and later by the Franks (1192 A.D.) during the crusades. The oppressive
Frankish reign prevented the artistic practise from the locals which lived in poverty due to heavy
taxation. Despite this the Frank nobles contributed mainly to the local architecture by building
some impressive gothic cathedrals like the Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Ammochostos
(Famagusta), castles like the Saint Hilarion castle in Kyrenia and the Bellapais abbey also in
Kyrenia. The Venetians that took over the island at 1489 A.D. contributed to its fortification by
building walls around Nicosia and Ammochostos (Famagusta) to protect it from the Ottomans
which finally managed to break through the defence and capture the island at 1571 A.D.
The period of reign of the Ottomans lacked of any kind of artistic creation as it was a
period of heavy oppression and poverty. Another reason for that artistically unproductive period
is the rule of the Muslim religion that forbids any kind of depiction but despite that the Byzantine
Art was still being practised in smaller scale during that period. At 1878 A.D. that period was
over when the English were the last conquerors of the island before it becomes independent in
1960. With the English administration, which finally wasn’t what the Cypriots were expecting to
be, some opportunities were given to aspiring artists who wanted to study in Europe. These
opportunities were taken advantage of by some artists and the general circumstances allowed
further development of Arts and Art Education in Cyprus.

4
 1.2. From late 19th century to the present

1.2.a. Modern and Contemporary Art

Following the year 1878 when Cyprus passed from the Ottomans to the English, a lot of Cypriots
resettled in their native country from the surrounding regions and mainly from Egypt, bringing
with them their knowledge along with many diverse cultural elements to form the basis where
the future Artistic Creation will be based upon. This change also gave the chance for artists to
study abroad, as long as they could afford it. The absence of Higher Art Education schools in
Cyprus meant that those who wanted to specialize in Fine Arts they would have to leave their
country and most of them went to study in London and Athens for obvious reasons.
The years following the beginning of the English dominance were also the years when
the first acclaimed Cypriot artists came to life. The sculptor Andreas Thymopoulos (1881-
1953) is considered to be the first artist to complete his Art studies in Athens’ Polytechnic
School and his works are seen as the basis of the modern cypriot sculpture. He is also one of the
first art teachers in Cyprus as he taught Sketching (Ichnography) and Calligraphy in secondary
schools and he also worked as a sculptor making public monuments. Two other important figures
are Vassilis Vryonides (1882-1958) who took courses at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice
and the Academies de la Grande Chaumière and Colarossi in Paris and the influential artist and
art teacher Ioannis Kissonerghis (1889-1963) who studied in Athens’ Fine Art School.

Image 4. Andreas Thymopoulos, Odysseas Nostalgon, Image 5. Ioannis Kissonerghis, To Anemisma, 1953,
1908, plaster, 95 x 68 x 96 cm, aquarelle, 33 x 33 cm.

The beginning of the 20th century marks the birth of the first generation of Cypriot artists
who put the foundations for the further development and evolution of Artistic Creation with their
creative and educative contribution. That generation is categorized chronologically in the period
of 1900-1922 when the artists called the “Fathers of Modern and Contemporary Cypriot Art”
were born. Among them, two of the most important are Adamantios Diamantis (1900-1994)
and Telemachos Kanthos (1910-1993) with both developing their own particular expressive
5
language. Diamantis studied in the Royal College of Art in London and at 1923 he finished his
studies and shared a drawing award with the English sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1986). Then
he returned to Cyprus to begin his 40 year long career as an Art teacher in public schools, he
organised Cyprus’ Folk Art Museum and encountered some of the island’s most important poets,
writers and other intellectuals, who enlightened him spiritually. During that period he also
created some of the most influential art works in the Cypriot art emphasizing his preference in
human figures and especially the female figure in contrary with Kanthos who preferred
landscapes and natural scenes combined with the human interaction with its environment in a
more lyrical manner. Kanthos studied painting and engraving in Athens’ School of Fine Arts and
on his return to Cyprus he also taught Arts in public schools and continued his artistic creation in
painting, engraving and scenography, delivering some fine works.

Image 6. Adamantios Diamantis, Sto Panigiri tis Panagias Image 7. Telemachos Kanthos, Black Trunks, Red Almond
tou Araka, 1942, oil on canvas, 92 x 104 cm, Trees, Goats (Mavroi Kormoi, Kokkines Amygdalies,
Aigies),1968, oil on canvas, 109 x 86 cm.

The first generation of Cypriot artists had a lot more to offer as more people got involved
pursuing their goals in Fine Art Academies of Europe and especially Greece (Athens) and some
of them self-taught, demonstrated their talent without higher Art studies. Gathering influences
from the various Art Movements, their teachers, the cypriot history and tradition combined with
their present socio-political circumstances, the artists put all these elements together to create a
thematically and aesthetically rich Art. The self-taught painters Georgios Paul Georgiou (1901-
1972) and Fotos Hadjisoteriou (1919-2004) combined elements from the Byzantine tradition
with references to folk art and in some cases draw subjects from the rural life of Cyprus. The
artistically educated Solomos Frangoulides (1902-1981), Victor Ioannides (1903-1984),
Andreas Asproftas (1919-2004), Xanthos Hadjisoteriou (1920-2003) and Takis Frangoudes
(1901-1978) sometimes make their Cypriot tradition origins obvious and sometimes they
combine them with Cubistic, Impressionistic, Expressionistic and other elements of Modern Art.
The second generation called the “Interwar Generation” was consisted of artists that were
born during the period of 1922-1940, between the two World Wars. That generation which acted
mainly after the Independence of Cyprus at 1960 led the way for the Contemporary Artistic
Creation in Cyprus with participations in important Biennales (Venice, Sao Paolo, Alexandria,
Buenos Aires) and international exhibitions which led to worldwide recognition. Incorporating
elements mainly of Geometrical Abstraction, Constructivism and Fauvism in painting and
working with many types of materials besides the traditional ones such as fabrics and ceramics,
6
 those artists created impressive artistic works. Some of the most important artists of that
generation are the painters: Christoforos Savva (1924-1968), Stelios Votsis (1929-), Andreas
Chrysochos (1929-), Stass Paraskos (1933-) and Nikos Kouroussis (1937-), the engraver
Lefteris Economou (1930-) and the sculptor and potter Valentinos Charalambous (1929-).

Image 8. Georgios Paul Georgiou, Image 9. Takis Frangoudes, Cypriot Image 10. Andreas Chrysochos,
Ksetelepse ki o Monogenis, oil on Girls at the Faucet (Kypriotopoules Abstract, 1968-70, acrylic on canvas.
wood, 220 x 124 cm. sti Vrysi). Uknknown Year.

Image 11. Christoforos Savva, Maternity Image 12. Stelios Votsis, White – Black
(Mitrotita), 1965, fabric, 106 x 27 cm, Series (Aspro – Mavro), 1968, acrylic
on canvas.

The third and last generation of Cypriot artists whose work can be estimated at the
present is that of the artists who were born after 1940. With most of them contributing nowadays
to the artistic creation and the art education of Cyprus and other countries where they chose to
follow their artistic career, those artists work incessantly dealing with universal matters and also
commenting the divided island’s political situation. The artists of the third generation went a step
forward using mixed media, creating installations and following successfully some of the
world’s leading artistic trends. The most important figures that were born during the 1940s are:
Andreas Ladommatos (1940-), Georgios Kotsonis (1940-), Michail (Mikis) Finikarides
7
(1940-2006), Aggelos Makrides (1942), Susan Kerr Joachim (1943), Christos Foukaras
(1944), Androula Angelidou (1947) and the engraver Hambis Tsangaris (1947) and after
1950: Paris Metaxas (1951), Theodoulos Gregoriou (1957), Maria Loizidou (1958) and
others. One of the greatest achievements of that generation belongs to Theodoulos Gregoriou
whose work Kyttara (Cells) entered the Louvre Museum in 2008.

Image 13. Paris Metaxas, Cut Boat (Kommeno Image 14. Theodoulos Gregoriou, Chambre Intime pour
Karavi), 1992, wood, copper, lead, 120 x 20 l’Homo Sapiens, 2001, cubic installation with video and
cm. sculpture.
The Cypriot artists who were born before 1950 lived through some of the most intense
facts in Cyprus’ recent history, which were reflected in their Art sometimes deliberately and
sometimes subliminally. Those facts were the October’s 1931 riots and the 1955-1959 national
liberation fight of the Greek-Cypriots against the English sovereignty, demanding union with
Greece. The same generations of artists as well as the younger ones, lived also to see the
intercommunal conflicts of the Greek-Cypriots with the Turkish-Cypriots at 1963 which finally
lead to the Turkish Invasion of 1974, dividing the island in two parts, until today. Cyprus entered
the European Union as an unlawfully divided country at 2004 giving new opportunities to artists
and funding Art Projects, as well as contributing to the island’s Art Education system. Despite
this there are some private art schools and colleges but Cyprus is still in the lack of a public
Higher Fine Arts School and it also lacks of apt art criticism, sometimes leaving the artists
stranded trying to reach alone their own personal quests.

1.2.b. Folk Art and Crafts and Naive Art

During the long periods of foreign dominance the Cypriots carried through the centuries their
tradition and skills that were achieved in the past and expressed themselves even with the
simplest forms of Arts and Crafts. Embroidery was and still is one of the oldest types of Crafts
still practised in Cyprus, as confirmed by the Neolithic bone-made embroidery needles that were
found and later by medieval texts that confirm also the craftsmanship in Weaving and Pottery.

Image 15. Cotton Image 16. Part of

fringe (Krosie)
scarf with woven
decoration. with schematized
horses and
Karpasia, 19th Cen.
triangular tips.

8
 The restless creative spirit of the Cypriots and their constant effort of reinterpreting
expressively their surroundings in various ways, led many self-taught painters to create a type of
Naive Art. This type of art could be considered thematically as Folk Art and aesthetically as
Naive Art because many of the subjects are related to the depiction of traditional customs and
actions of everyday life, presented in a more “childish” manner. The most important
representative of this type of art is Michael Kashalos (1885-1974) who started painting after the
age of 75 with the encouragement of the artist Adamantios Diamantis who later helped him to
exhibit his works. Traditional in everyday life and in painting style, Kashalos was inspired by the
country site, the traditions and the daily life of Cyprus. Giasoumis Georgiou (1924-1999) and
Demetris Gerokostas (1934-?) also represent this style of art with a different approach that
responds to the influences met by their generation.

Image 17. Michael Kashalos. The Dance and the Sewing of the Bed (O Horos kai to Rapsimon tou Krevatiou), 1965.

2. Art Education in Cyprus

2.1. Before 1960

As mentioned through the introductory text of this paper, the numerous conquerors that ruled
Cyprus over the centuries didn’t allow a long period of peace in which the island’s artists could
devise their own specific artistic language and receive any relevant education. After the arrival of
the English rulers in Cyprus at 1878, the first steps to organise a public education system were
made by the island’s few intellectuals and educated people, with the colonists relatively
unconcerned. During the last decade of the 19 th century many artists and art teachers mainly of
Greek origin, came to Cyprus to fill in the new positions that were opened in the public
education with the introduction of artistic courses.1 The characteristics of the Art Education
system that the Greek teachers brought with them were adjusted according to the needs of the

1
The Greek teachers taught in Cyprus’ oldest secondary school Pancyprian Gymnasium (1812) in Nicosia through
the years of 1906-1920, as mentioned by relative references.
9
Cypriot students. In 1894’s Primary School Curriculum in Greece the term referred to artistic
courses was “Technical courses” and included Music, Tracing (Ichnography), Calligraphy and
Gymnastics and the Girls’ Only Schools included Handicrafts such as Embroiding, Knitting and
Sewing. Those were the courses that the teachers taught in public Primary and Secondary
schools in Cyprus at the end of the 19th century and during the beginning of the 20th.
The Tracing (Ichnography) 2 course taught the rules of basic depiction of objects with the
use of simple straight and curved lines and simple shapes as well as the basic understanding of
shade and light to cultivate the ability to sketch. The Calligraphy 3 course developed the pupils’
writing ability in practical and aesthetic terms and as the Tracing course it was more technically
oriented. Almost 20 years later, in 1913 the Primary School Curriculum in Greece included the
Handicrafts course for boys at the 1st and 2nd grades of Primary School in an effort to cover the
commercial needs of that period. The boys’ Handicrafts course included Sewing, Knitting and
the use of paper, wood and clay to create objects that were mainly functional. These Curriculum
changes were also applied later in the Primary and sometimes Secondary schools of Cyprus.
Most of the teachers who taught Arts in Cyprus’ schools during the end of the 19 th and
the early 20th century were only Art/Artistic courses teachers but not artists and that was one of
the main reasons why the courses remained mainly technical during that period. With the first
generation of Cypriot artists arriving in the island after their studies to teach and to create Art,
the course of Art Education changed. Among those artists, Ioannis Kissonerghis and Telemachos
Kanthos who studied in Greece and Adamantios Diamantis who studied in England, carried with
them their influences and applied different expressive models and teaching methods,
encouraging the children to create freely with some basic directions. Those artists and mainly the
youngest Kanthos and Diamantis, contributed in shaping the curriculum of Art Education until it
was finally generalised as a course at around 1950 for Primary schools and after 1960 in
Secondary schools.

2.2. After 1960 – The Independence

The year of the Independence 1960, is one of the most important in the history of Cyprus
because it marks the beginning of a new period in which the Cypriots could finally take their
own decisions about the Education, Administration and Economy of their country, probably for
the first time ever through all the islands’ history. This fact somehow disappointed the majority
of the Greek-Cypriots who wanted Cyprus to become part of Greece so the notion of this idea
guided them through their everyday lives and shaped the education system methodology and
curriculum, widely influenced by the Greek education system. The English influence was also
part of the newly founded Republic of Cyprus, in many of its aspects.
The artists of the second generation who were born during the period of 1922-1940 had
the chance to receive their education abroad in important worldwide artistic centres (London,
Athens, New York, Beijing etc.) and there were also artists studying in Eastern European
countries (USSR, Czechoslovakia etc.) with scholarships provided by Cyprus’ left wing political
party AKEL. Many of those artists returned in Cyprus after 1960 to teach Arts and some of them
specialised in Art Education, contributing in the evolution of teaching Visual Arts in public
2
The course of Ichnography (Ichnographia) originates from Ancient Greece when in 4th century B.C. it was taught
as part of Aesthetics Education with the purpose of understanding the harmony of lines and shapes and not so much
for practical purposes but mainly for developing a good taste and the ability to judge the subjective beauty of a
visual stimulus.
3
Calligraphy (Kalligraphia) was taught intensively during the Byzantine period along with Byzantine Music, both
taught as part of the Aesthetics Education.
10
education. The independence of Cyprus initiated a series of controversies between the more
conservative and the more open-minded in the search of defining the cultural character and
identity of Cyprus. With the more conservative supporting the Byzantine tradition and Folk Art
aesthetics and subjects drawn from the rural life and the more open-minded supporting artistic
creation in a more international and multicultural spirit, the Art Education Curriculum was
affected by both opinions as Cyprus’ education and politics aimed to combine both tradition and
modernity.
Finding detailed information about the Art Education Curriculum of the period that
followed the Independence was very difficult but the information found confirms that the types
of classes included in the general term of Aesthetics Education (Aesthitiki Agogi) were given a
lot of attention and were considered very important pedagogically. The Art teachers proved
themselves very capable in teaching those courses as confirmed with the participation of Cyprus
in international contests of Children’s Art. Some of the participating works were awarded and
two of those cases include the 1st prize of the UNESCO award in Paris in 19794 and the main
Balaton prize in Hungary in 1980.5
The term Aesthetics Education was introduced in Greece at 1982 to replace the term of
Technical Courses and it was divided in two parts: A – Painting, Drawing, Handicrafts and B –
Music. After 1990, Aesthetics Education was consisted of three parts: A – Visual Education
(Ikastiki Agogi), B – Music and C – Theatrical Education and there was given greater emphasis
on the expressive ability of the pupil and the methods of depicting the personal ideas, feelings
and experiences of the pupil. Those models were applied in Cyprus with some adjustments that
were made to follow the general educational and cultural scheme. Since 1960 the Art Education
Curriculum has undergone through many reforms to be able to correspond to the needs and the
trends of each period of time and despite the problems caused by the Turkish Invasion in the
island in 1974, the interest for improving the Curriculum remained intact. An important revision
of the Curriculum was done in 1999 in which the pupils were divided in three levels according to
their age, covering the range between 6 to 15 years which includes all the 6 years of Primary
Education (6-12) and the first 3 years from the Secondary Education (12-15).
In 1999 the Republic of Cyprus was already on its way to join the European Union and
some changes had to be done in order to prepare the future citizens for the European
multicultural and international spirit. The 1999’s Art Curriculum revision described a series of
expectations that had to be met by the pupils of each one of the three levels and the Curriculum
also referred to teaching Arts for at least eighty minutes per week throughout all the 9 years of
obligatory Art Education. Helping children to practise Art, as well as learning about and through
Art were the main objectives mentioned in 1999’s revision. Those objectives aimed to improve
the personal and social development of the child along with bringing out his ability to express his
ideas and feelings using the right methods and materials in order to develop a taste in Aesthetics
and appreciate the value of artistic works. Art criticism is another important aspect of the
Curriculum that was emphasised because of its importance to inform the pupils about the culture
of their country and also to meet and appreciate other cultures through their artistic creation.
Developing a personal sense of judgement was also promoted as part of the Art criticism which
could be achieved through discussions and by exchanging opinions about artistic works seen in
Museums, Galleries and even in the residences of the Artists themselves.
Nowadays, the main philosophy and purpose of Art Education remains the same as
described in 1999’s revision, with some important additions in the methodology of teaching Arts.
Those additions are related to the use of Technology and Digital Media to accompany the
4
The student Panagiota Demetriou was awarded for her work titled Life in 2000: Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-
Cypriots have fun in a wedding when she was 11 years old.
5
The student Stavroula Kyriakou was awarded for her work titled The spring when she was 9 years old.
11
traditional teaching methods and the integration of subjects like multiculturalism, local/world
heritage and environment. The term used today changed from Aesthetics Education to Visual
Arts (Ikastikes Technes) and its teaching is now obligatory for two years more than the previous
scheme. The Visual Arts Education now covers the ages 5-16 and is divided in 4 levels in
contrary with the 3 levels that it was previously divided. Those levels are:

- Level 1: Preschool – 2nd Grade of Primary School (5-7)

- Level 2: 3rd Grade – 5th Grade of Primary School (8-10)
- Level 3: 6th Grade of Primary School – 2nd Grade of Secondary School (11-13)
- Level 4: 3nd Grade of Secondary School – 1st Grade of High School (14-16)

The evaluation methods, the approaches in teaching in classes with pupils of different level of
skills as well as the consistency, continuation and evolution of all the aspects of teaching Arts is
applied mainly according to England’s National Curriculum standards, U.S.A.’s National
Standards and the models of other countries.
The Visual Arts classes are consisted of two main parts which are: (1) Creation and (2)
Observation. These two key objects are further divided thematically and with relevant theoretical
and practical objectives and expectations. Combining these two parts there are three main axes
around where the material is centred. The three axes are described by three relevant key aspects:

1. Visual Arts as an experience providing the ability to explore the use of materials and
media and observe various types of visual creation for ideas and inspiration.
2. The cultivation of morals and values of the contemporary democratic society and the
development of the ability to criticise and express opinions and thoughts about the
members of that society through team work.
3. The development of skills required to deal with the characteristics of the modern society
through exploration of new technologies and by building a well structured methodology
on how to find, choose and present information and ideas.

In practical terms there are specific objectives and expectations described for each level divided
by age. Visual Expression and Thinking are the general terms that describe the practical
application of the three theoretical aspects that are mentioned above. The practice is applied
through a series of Morphological, Structural, Conceptual and some other additional expressive
elements which aim to help the pupil develop specific skills in creating and as well as criticizing
Visual Arts (Table 1). Those elements are combined with subjects such as local/world heritage
and environment and there are various methods for approaching those subjects. The pupils are
encouraged to work with materials and techniques used in Folk Art and Handicrafts and visit
Museums, traditional villages and the workshops and ateliers of artists and workers who still
practise this type of Art, to appreciate the effort and the skills that are needed to create it. Careful
observation of traditional and contemporary architecture is also promoted in order for the pupils
to know the materials and the textures that each of those materials create.
During the last years the Visual Arts Education program included museum and gallery
visits as obligatory part of the teaching process. The State Gallery of Contemporary Cypriot Art
in Nicosia, the State Gallery in Limassol, the Byzantine Museum in Nicosia and others, have
developed specific programs in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Culture by
which the pupils can be benefitted from while they observe, criticise and try to recreate the
works of Art exhibited in those places. Some Cypriot artists also offered to give seminars and
show their work to students and among them is the engraver Hambis Tsangaris. The great
interest and the passion of some teachers in their work resulted in the creation of some
12
remarkable works of art by the collaboration of the pupils in groups. Most of that work usually
resulted in sculptures inspired by the Folk tradition, Poetry and Literature and some of them are
exhibited in the schools and in public squares of the municipalities in which they were created.

Elements Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

(Age 5-7) (Age 8-10) (Age 11-13) (Age 14-16)
-Point -Point -Point -Point
-Line: straight, -Line -Line -Line
curve, dotted, close- -Shape: symmetric, -Shape -Shape
open, horizon line asymmetric -Colour: -Colour
-Shape: geometric, -Colour: warm, primary/secondary, -Tone
Morphological
organic cold, hues contrasts -Texture
-Colour: basic, -Tone -Tone
secondary, mixes -Texture -Texture
-Texture: soft,
rough, smooth

-Volume -Placement -Placement -Placement

-Space -Size -Size -Size
-Pattern -Volume -Analogies -Analogies
-Repetition -Negative/positive -Volume -Vanishing point
-Motion space -Space -Principles of
-Time -Depth -Patten perspective design
-Patten -Repetition -Volume
Structural -Repetition -Rhythm -Space
-Rhythm -Intensity -Patten
-Intensity -Motion -Repetition
-Motion -Time -Rhythm
-Time -Intensity
-Motion
-Time
-Meaning -Meaning -Storytelling -Storytelling
-Symbols -Symbols -Messages -Messages
-Storytelling -Meaning -Meaning
Conceptual -Expression of -Symbols -Symbols
feelings -Terms -Terms
-Figures -Figures
- Expression of - Expression of
feelings feelings
-Use of -Use of -Use of -Use of
materials/media and materials/media materials/media and materials/media and
Additional techniques and techniques techniques techniques
-Relation of Art with -Relation of Art -Relation of Art with -Relation of Art with
Physical Sciences with Health History Literature
Education

Table 1. The elements of Visual Thinking and Expression and their practical application divided by levels.

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 Image 18 & 19. The engraver artist Hambis
Tsangaris in a seminar at Art Centre of
Secondary Education Pupils in 2009.

18 19

20 21
Image 20 & 21. A sculpture created by the students of Linopetra Secondary
School and exhibited in the school’s yard in 2010.

22 23
Image 22 & 23. A work inspired by a Giorgos Seferis poem created from the
students of Zakaki Secondary School in 2009.
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 In 2004 Cyprus joined the European Union and had to adjust its current Art Education
System to correspond to the EU’s specifications. In doing so the adjustments made were mostly
related with the theoretical context of the Art Education with less changes in the practical
application. Those theoretical changes intended to help the pupils to know well and develop their
National Identity and to appreciate and compare it with various types of Art from different
countries and cultures. The appreciation of National Identity as well as the appreciation of
Handicrafts and Folk Art in general was to be made through direct encounter with these forms of
Art, with materials used and even with the Artists themselves. Considering the practical changes
made, the integration of Technology and Digital Media in the Curriculum was introduced and
now widely used to prepare the pupils for the Modern Society and to make the teaching of Visual
Arts more entertaining for the children. The development of specific Art Education software was
and is funded by the government and has become an integral part of the Curriculum, without
abandoning the traditional Media and Art Techniques.
The European Union isn’t the only factor that affected the Art Education Curriculum as
Cyprus nowadays constantly receives immigrants from various non European countries, mostly
former Soviet Union countries (Russia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine) and Arab
countries. The Ministry of Education and Culture has prepared a series of information to inform
the parents about the Education Methods and Curriculum and developed specific parts of that
Curriculum especially for the migrating pupils in languages such as English, Turkish, Russian,
Georgian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Ukrainian and Arabic. As most classes and schools are now
becoming multicultural the development of a team spirit of collaboration and constant opinion
exchanging is important to shape the characters of the future Republic of Cyprus citizens. The
Visual Art courses are considered very important to help the children develop a more open
character to accept the cultural diversity and to actively criticise the actions of their surrounding
environment.

Conclusions
The absence of long periods of peace during the ancient and recent past of Cyprus may have
deprived the islands’ inhabitants of the right to make their own decisions for their country but
their passion and need for artistic creation and progress remained intact. The fact that Cyprus is
an island, was and still is one of the main reasons that the Cypriot society tended to be more
closed, more conservative and sometimes isolated. An obvious result of this tendency is the
Orthodox Religion that is kept intact for about 15 centuries despite the pressure by the various
conquerors to change it and also the spoken language in Cyprus which is a Greek Dialect
influenced by Ancient Greek with additions from the Languages spoken by the various
conquerors. As the times are now changing, the Cypriot society is becoming less conservative
and more open-minded, influenced more by the Western than by its neighbouring Eastern
Society tendencies.
The Art Education System of Cyprus is now consisted of qualified teachers and retains a
high level of requirements for accepting each type of Education Studies. The teachers studying
and specializing in Universities in Cyprus and around the world are already familiar with the
spirit of multiculturalism that the government of Cyprus is trying to promote mainly through the
Education, to prepare its future citizens. Even though the Cypriot government spends a lot of
money for the maintenance and improvement of the physical infrastructure and the integration of
Technology in schools, there is still no public Fine Arts School for Higher Education but only
private colleges. Hopefully the future generations will have all the necessary knowledge and
education to appreciate Arts and to support them, independently of their occupation and social
status, contributing in the island’s Artistic Creation along with the hope of a unified island.

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 References
Books

1. Christou, Chrysanthos (1983). A Brief History of Modern and Contemporary Cypriot Art.
Nicosia: The Cultural Service of the Ministry of Education of Cyprus.
2. Chrysochos, Andreas et. al (1983). Cypriot Artists (p. 9-25). Nicosia: Chr. Andreou
Publications.
3. Mentzafou, Olga (Editor) (1984). Contemporary Cypriot Art, The First Generation of
Independence (p. 9-14). Athens: National Gallery and Alexandros Soutzos Museum.
4. Karagiorgis, Vasos et. al (Editors) (1993). Cypriot Folk Art, Proceedings of the meeting
organized by Pierides Foundation in 23/05/1992. Nicosia: Pierides Foundation.
5. Papadopoulou, Maria Th. (2004). Playing Art with Children: Elli Trimi’s Program for
Preschool and Elementary School Children (p. 29-49). Thessaloniki: Kyriakides Brothers
Publishing House.

Online Articles/Material

1. Kounenaki, Peggy et. al (1997). Tribute in Contemporary Cypriot Art. Nicosia: Kathimerini
Newspaper.
http://wwk.kathimerini.gr/kath/7days/1997/06/01061997.pdf
2. Cyprus Pedagogical Institute. Brief History of Cyprus.
http://bit.ly/fBVZfW
3. Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA, Eurydice) (2009). Arts and
Cultural Education at School in Europe. Brussels: EACEA.
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/113EN.pdf
4. Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA, Eurydice) (2010). National
summary sheets on education systems in Europe and ongoing reforms: Cyprus. Brussels:
EACEA.
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/eurybase/national_summary_s
heets/047_CY_EN.pdf
5. Appiou, Emilia (Translation) (2003). The National Art Curriculum in the Primary Education
of Cyprus.
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/eurybase/national_summary_s
heets/047_CY_EN.pdf
6. European Parliament (2006). Financing the Arts and Culture in the European Union.
Brussles: European Parliament
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/eurybase/national_summary_s
heets/047_CY_EN.pdf
7. Ministry of Education and Culture/Cyprus Pedagogical Institute: Department of Program
Development (2010). Curricula for Public Schools in Cyprus. Nicosia: Ministry of Education
and Culture.
http://www.paideia.org.cy/upload/analytika_programmata_2010/0.siniptikaanalitikapr
ogrammata.pdf
8. Cyprus Pedagogical Institute (2008). Educational  Support Material for the Integration of
ICT  (Information & Communication Technologies) in the Learning Process. Nicosia: Cyprus
Pedagogical Institute.

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 http://www.e-epimorfosi.ac.cy/img/files/dimotiki%20texni%2001%20K07D.pdf

Links

1. Ministry of Education and Culture: Annual Reports.

http://www.moec.gov.cy/etisia-ekthesi/index.html
2. Ministry of Education and Culture: Public Schools Support.
http://www.schools.ac.cy/
3. Ministry of Education and Culture: Elementary Education Teaching Material.
http://www.schools.ac.cy/klimakio/index.html
4. Ministry of Education and Culture: Secondary Education Teaching Material.
http://www.schools.ac.cy/EYLIKO/mesi/index.html
5. Cyprus Society For Education Through Arts (CySEA).
http://www.koet.org/

Images

Cover Image: A work created by the pupils of Kokkinotrimithia Secondary School in 2006 using
Iron, Concrete and Mosaics. This work symbolises the bonding of the Ancient Greek Culture
with the European Culture, with references to patterns of Matisse and the 12 stars of the EU.
http://www.schools.ac.cy/eyliko/mesi/themata/techni/mnimiaki_techni/mnim_kokkinotrimi
thia.pdf

Image 1: http://sfrang.com/historia/graphics/10/10-50.jpg
Image 2: http://bit.ly/dPtt1L
Image 3: http://bit.ly/ghXuPD

*The rest of the images were taken from the pre-mentioned printed and online material.

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