Alekos Fassianos was a Greek artist, born in Athens in 1935. He lived a big part of his life in Paris where he studied lithography and later on, worked with many famous artists and writers. His paintings are very popular, not only in Greece and France, but all around the world. He has won many honors and managed to see his work exhibited in museums like Paris Museum of Modern Art, Galerie Futura-Miami, Galerie Grafika-Tokyo among others. Having exhibited in more than 30 countries, Fassianos is one of the most popular Greek painters.
While roaming the streets with a friend in Paris, Fassianos finds a wallet on the sideway with 600 Francs inside. Even though his friend insisted to spend the money for drinks and food, Fassianos decided to take it to the police. As his residence permit had expired, he believed that by turning in the found wallet, the police would give him a recommendation for an extension.
Once he went to the police, he handed in the wallet, explaining where and when he found it. He waited for them to give him the recommendation, after the arranged the rest of the documents. With it he would go to the migration office to renew his permit.
One of the officers asked him: “What do you work here?” with Fassianos replying, “I am a painter.”
The officer then said “You should leave. Paris is full of painters. We don’t need you”.
It is said, that Fassianos then mocked the officer by replying, “Painters made Paris famous, not Gendarmes”.
Part of Fassianos’ work can be seen in public places in Athens. A giant vertical mural in the lobby of the Electra Metropolis Hotel and two more in the neighborhood of Metaksourgio. In 2007 he managed to sell his painting named ‘The Messenger’ for 550.000 Euros at Bonhams in London.
Alekos Fassianos died on the 16th of January 2022.
