Chryssa

Who they were

Biography Chryssa was born in Athens [ 1 ] into the famous Mavromichalis family from the Mani Peninsula . [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] Her family, while not rich, was educated and cultured; one of her sisters, who studied medicine, was a friend of the poet and novelist Nikos Kazantzakis . [ 2 ] [ 4 ] Shortly before her birth, Chryssa's father died, she was raised by her mother and two older sisters. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] Chryssa grew up in Nazi-occupied Greece,

Chryssa Vardea-Mavromichali was a Greek American artist who worked in a wide variety of media. An American art pioneer in light art and luminist sculpture, known for her neon, steel, aluminum and acrylic glass installations, she always used the mononym Chryssa professionally. She worked from the mid-1950s in New York City studios and worked since 1992 in the studio she established in Neos Kosmos, Athens, Greece.

Early life

Educated at: Académie de la Grande Chaumière and San Francisco Art Institute.

Path and career

Awards / honours: Guggenheim Fellowship.

Why this date

Chryssa appears on our December 23 calendar for 2013 as a death entry.