Konstantin Dimopoulos

Born Egypt 1954.
1963-2003 Wellington, New Zealand
2003- Melbourne, Australia

Upon completing his Arts degree at Victoria University, Wellington, Dimopoulos travelled to London, continuing his studies at the Chelsea School of Art. Returning to Wellington three years later he began exhibiting work in private and public galleries.

In the 1990s Dimopoulos began to explore movement through the medium of sculpture. In 2001 he created Pacific Grass the first wind sculpture commissioned by the Wellington Sculpture Trust, sponsored by Meridian Energy and gifted to the City of Wellington.

Dimopoulos moved with his family to Melbourne in early 2003 and over the last few years he has created some ambitious and recognizable works.

Colour, line and movement are elements that are strongly associated with Dimopoulos sculptures. Geometric forms, optical dynamics and the linear relationship to space bring viewers to a close relationship with his sculptures.

“I am trying to achieve in these works an immediacy. I hope to evoke a sense of reverence through a mirage of colour and form. I am searching for a spiritual response from the viewer.”

His distinctive works can be found in private and public collections in Australia and New Zealand, and in late 2007 he will install a public sculpture in California, USA.

Education

1977 BA Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand

Selected solo exhibitions

2007 Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney
2005 New Zealand Pavilion World Expo, Japan
2005 Melbourne Fashion Festival Arts Program, Australia
2004 Red Tree Blue Tree, Kings Domain, Melbourne, Australia
2000 Suter Art Gallery, Nelson, New Zealand
1999 Fisher Art Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand
1999 The Physics Room, Christchurch, New Zealand
1998 Waikato Museum of the Arts, Hamilton, New Zealand
1997 Manawatu Art Gallery, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Rotorua Museum of Art, Rotorua, New Zealand

Selected group exhibitions

2007 Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award, Werribee Park, Melbourne
2007 Sculpture on the Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand
2006 Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi, Sydney
2006 Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award, Werribee Park, Melbourne
2005 Toyota Corporate Headquarters, Melbourne
2002 National Library Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand
2001 Adam Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand
2000 Auckland City Gallery, Wallace Art Awards
1999 McPherson Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand
1998 McPherson Gallery Auckland, New Zealand
1996 McDougal Art Annex, Christchurch, New Zealand

Selected commissions

2006 Red Field, private commission Melbourne
2006 Colour Field, public sculpture commissioned by VicUrban Melbourne
2006 Red Centre, Federation Square, Melbourne, funded by Arts Victoria
2006 Alara, private commission Melbourne

2005 Sacred Grove, conceptual artwork, Yarra Park, Melbourne
2005 Red Ridge, private commission Arrowtown New Zealand
2005 Yellow Carex, private commission, New Zealand
2005 Grassland, private commission Queenstown New Zealand

2004 Kete, Connell's Bay Sculpture Park, Waiheke Island, New Zealand
2003 Rubic Tree, private commission, Wellington, New Zealand
2001 Pacific Grass, Wellington Sculpture Trust

Selected awards

2006 Gallery of New South Wales, Best Site-Specific Sculpture, Sculpture by the Sea
2005 Arts Victoria, Celebrate Victoria Grant, Melbourne
2005 Parthenon, Runner-up Chicago Public Sculpture Competition
2004 Kinetic Art Organisation USA, Best International Kinetic Public Sculpture
2002 Civic Initiative Award for Public Sculpture, Wellington, New Zealand

Publications

In addition to appearing in exhibition catalogues, and newspaper reviews the work of Konstantin Dimopoulos has featured in articles and reviews in Sculpture magazine and the Public Art Review USA, Art News New Zealand, Art New Zealand, Architecture New Zealand, ABC Radio Arts Program Melbourne, The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.

Representing Gallery

Conny Dietzschold Gallery, Sydney

Selected Bibliography

CHAPPELL Dan; artnews New Zealand, Random perfection, Spring 2006
GREEN Jonathan; The Age, Arts Will Red Centre be the new Yellow Peril, June 2006
MITCHELL Geraldine; Herald Sun, Art blue forgotten, June 2006
ABC National News: New Icon for Melbourne, June 2006
ABC Arts News Online: Sculptor has crowds seeing Red, June 2006
PUBLIC ART REVIEW Blue Trees Cut Down, Issue 34 Spring/Summer 2006
GILL Harbant; Herald Sun, Melbourne Walking to a win - Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award; January 2006
DIMOPOULOS Adele; LINO magazine; The Man Who Coloured Trees Issue No. 12 2005/06
COPELAND Julie; ABC Radio Arts Program, 13 March 2005
BECKER Jack; Public Art Review : International Kinetic Art, Fall.Winter 04 page 47
TSAHURIDIS Dimitri; Neos Kosmos, Melbourne, October 2004
DEKKER Diana; NZ House & Garden, September 2003 edition
WERE Virginia; Art News New Zealand, Public Sculpture pp.42-45
GREGG Stacy; Unlimited, November 2002 pg.1/53-56
MILLS John; Trends Interiors, Vol 13 No. 2 pp 3/23-25
PLIMMER Neil; Wellington Sculpture Trust Kinetic Works, page 2
CLIFFORD Ann; Architecture, Cross Section, April 2002 page 12
SHOPLAND Alice Rafite; Art New Zealand, Summer 1994/95
WELLINGTON INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS 1994, Catalogue
HOULAHAN Michael; Festival Works, March 1994
BOLLINGER Nick; The Listener: Strange New Land 14-21 March 1994
CAIN Stephen; The Evening Post: Atrium Works March 1994
JONES Lloyd; Metro Magazine : Breaking the Chain March 1993
McNAMARA T J; Perspective on Art, pp3-5
TAYLOR Rob; The Dominion : Autobiographical Imagery 1990
GILCHRIST Michael; National Business Review : Transformation 1990
UNGER Pat; Art New Zealand : Exhibition, Winter 1990 page 51
UNGER Pat; Art New Zealand : Goodman Suter Biennale 1990 page 51