Rizaj grew up in Tirana, Albania, and attended the Academy of Fine Art, Tirana. I also have established connections by which to facilitate a number of other types of work.īrunilda Rizaj-Papastamatiou - Ms. My studios, here and in Greece, include a staff of artists and technicians who are all highly trained and experienced iconographers, mosaicists, stained glass artisans, gold leaf specialists and installers. I also do private and commercial commissions. The focus of my work has been, and is, the adornment of churches in the traditional Byzantine style. Some of them are still working with me today. Many of these students have continued on to become active hagiographers in their own right. I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to have acted as teacher to hundreds of students in my life. My work in hagiography has been recognized and endorsed by the Archdiocese of Greece and in Orthodox jurisdictions around the world. Several pieces can also be found in private collections. It is included in the collections of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Vatican, and the Smithsonian Institution. My work, which has received numerous awards, has been exhibited in many galleries and museums around the world. In 1984, I established a permanent studio in the U.S.A., concentrating more on the Western Hemisphere churches, yet keeping the connection with my resources in Greece.Īfter working in studios in Michigan and Ohio, I moved my base to Boston in 2006. I traveled extensively, coordinating the work in Greece, the U.S.A., Central America, South America, and Australia. I was soon working on many churches in Greece, and then beginning work on churches in the U.S.A. I worked with him until 1969.Īfter fulfilling my military service obligations from 1969 to 1970, I established my own studio of traditional Byzantine iconography in Athens, eventually merging with my father’s studio. Influenced by the strong movement for the revival of pure Byzantine hagiography by the famous Photios Kontoglou, I turned my attention towards this type of painting and soon was accepted as a student and apprentice at the Studio of Byzantine Art of Demetrios Cafis, retired professor of the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris.

During the period of my secondary education I worked in my father’s studio in Athens and studied and apprenticed under my godfather in fine art painting. My father and my godfather, Paul Angelis, Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Athens, were my instructors. Since early childhood, I worked with my grandfather and my father, Stamatios Papastamatiou, who were both well-known hagiographers in Greece. George Papastamatiou - Born in Pythagoreion, Samos, in 1948, I moved to Athens with my family in 1960. If we can answer any questions, please do get in touch.

We invite you to take a look around, and check back often, as the site is a work in progress. The aim of the work we do is to create spaces which, according to Tradition, elevate the person towards the contemplation of God by creating a heaven on earth. Along with a support staff of artisans and craftspeople, Byzantine Artworks has developed a wide range of capabilities, from design consulting, master plans and restorations, to the production of the finished art work including mosaics, iconography, stained glass and stonework. George is one of the most widely recognized Byzantine Iconographers alive today.

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