Panayotis A. Michelis
Panayotis A. Michelis (Patras 1903–Athens 1969) was an architect, theoretician of architecture, philosopher of art and University professor. In 1926, he graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of Dresden University in Germany. He held the Chair for Theory of Architecture at the National Technical University of Athens (1941–1969).
Michelis was one of the first Greek architects to champion modern architecture and art; he produced an extensive, internationally acclaimed body of theoretical work. He was the founder and first president of the Hellenic Society for Aesthetics; he also organised the Fourth International Congress on Aesthetics in 1960 in Athens.
In his work, Michelis sought to interpret and elucidate ancient Greek and Byzantine art, as well as Modern Greek vernacular and traditional architecture. He greatly contributed to laying the theoretical foundations for and defining the aesthetics of contemporary architecture in Greece.
Effie P. Michelis
Effie Michelis (Athens 1906–1984), the wife of Panayotis Michelis, was a naïve artist and founder of the Panayotis and Effie Michelis Foundation.
Following her artistic debut in 1952, she participated in all the national Art Fairs held at Zappeion Hall in Athens from 1952 to 1973, as well as in many group exhibitions in Greece and other countries.
A member of several art organisations, Effie Michelis was a key founding member of the Fédération Internationale Culturelle Féminine, of which she was elected president in 1980. She worked with great zeal to establish the Fédération’s Greek branch, of which she was president from 1974 to 1984. She was member of the Hellenic Society for Aesthetics, the publisher of the journal Annals for Aesthetics / Annales d’Esthétique; she also sat on the editorial board of the journal.
In 1979, Effie Michelis established the Panayotis & Effie Michelis Foundation, of which she was the founding president and to which she bequeathed her entire estate..