Fotios Zemenides

Fotios Zemenides was born a refugee, his mother fleeing the Turkish invasion of Cyprus with him in utero, while his father stayed behind to fight. The very nature of his existence is a paradox, for he is both a child of Chicago simultaneously living with a reality unfulfilled

Displaying aptitude in the visual arts from a young age, he chose to pursue his undergraduate studies in fine art and art history at DePaul University in Chicago. Paul Jaskot introduced him to the notion of understanding art by becoming a student of history, thus placing the work in its socio-political context. As the very essence of social justice was ingrained into his being from a young age, his intended goal was to use his abilities to create art that force the viewer to question the way of things and ask difficult moral and ethical questions of themselves.

After a 5 year attempt to bring issues of inequity to life in the world of urban planning and development he returned to art, receiving a Master of Fine Art in painting and drawing at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Under the tutelage of Joe Kegler at the Chicago Fine Art Foundry, he mastered the process of bronze and aluminum casting for sculpture. He also studied classical academic pri...

MFA - Painting & Drawing - American Academy of Art - Chicago, IL- 2007
BFA - Studio Art & Art History - DePaul University - Chicago, IL - 1997
Non degree studies:
Vitruvian Fine Art Studio
Sulzen Fine Art Studio
Chicago Fine Art Foundry

November Exhibition Ground Floor Gallery November 2013 Juried Exhibition
31st Juried Competition Wilmette Public Library Oct-Nov 2013 Juried Exhibition
26th Juried Competition Alexandria Museum of Art September-Nov 2013 Juried Exhibition
70th Annual Salon Show South Shore Art September-Oct 2013 Juried Exhibition
56th National Art Exhibition Maria V. Howard Arts Center June-September 2013 Juried Exhibition
Pipelines and Borderlines:
People Can’t Drink Oil Paul Henry Gallery June-August 2013 Touring Exhibition
Quad-State Biennial Exhibit Quincy Art Center June-July 2013 Juried Exhibition
Westmoreland Art Nationals Westmoreland County College June-July 2013 Juried Exhibition
15th Annual National Western Colorado Center
Contemporary for the Arts May-June 2013 Juried Exhibition
The Big Read: In the Time
of Butterflies Columbia College Library May 2013 Educational Exhibition
77th Annual Art Exhibition Polish Museum of Chicago April 2013 Juried Exhibition
34th International Print and
Drawing Exhibition Bradley University March-May 2013 Juried Exhibition
Printworks 2013 North Shore Art League March-April 2013 Group Exhibition
8th Annual Human Rights
Art Exhibition South Texas Colleg...