He was something of a sage who passed on his love of art to anyone willing to learn.
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The Goulburn and district arts community is mourning the loss of well-known artist, Stavros Papantoniou, who died on Saturday, March 25, aged sixty-eight. He passed away in Canberra Hospital following a 2021 cancer diagnosis.
Partner, Margaret Kearns, was by his side. She said Stavros made a big impact on everyone he met.
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"I adored him. He was incredibly kind and gentle, had an irreverent sense of humour and, like me, was something of a political animal," she said.
"He was Stavros right to the end."
He was a prolific artist across all mediums but was best known in Goulburn for his Australian landscapes. He joined the Goulburn and District Art Society (GDAS) in 2014 after the couple moved from Sydney and passed on his knowledge to members and the wider community.
Stavros also taught art at Gallery on Track.
"He brought his knowledge and strength and was a fantastic teacher who gave fully of himself to help others achieve what they wanted in a work," Ms Kearns said.
Born in Egypt of Greek heritage, his family, including parents Nikita and Despina, fleed the Nasser regime and moved to Australia in 1962 when Stavros was eight. His engineer father had worked on ships in the Suez Canal.
At a co-educational school in Sydney, he initially wanted to be a chef, but as a male could not enrol in Home Economics. An art teacher spotted his skill early and took him under her wing.
Despina encouraged and supported his craft in every way possible.
Margaret said she lived within several kilometres of him as a child. At one stage, he was working as a cleaner in a building where she had her accountancy office, trying to put himself through the Julian Ashton Art School.
But their paths didn't seriously cross until she started work with a Bondi Art Gallery some 40 years ago.
"I dabbled in sculpture and was doing arts workshops and there he was, after being within coo-ee of each other for so long," she said.
"He was very handsome and funny."
Stavros was also busy. He later studied bachelor degree at the UNSW College of Fine Art.
He lived in Scotland and Sweden before returning to Sydney and studying a Master of Fine Arts at UNSW.
Ever keen to pass on his knowledge, Stavros lectured and taught at Waverley Arts Centre for 28 years, up until COVID-19 hit.
Along the way, he also won numerous prizes and awards. More than 20 years ago, author Morris West was struck by Stavros' large work, The March of Folly, depicting a melting pot of characters. Based on Barbara Tuchman's book of the same name, it asked the question - 'why do we never learn about the world's mistakes?'
It just missed out on the Blake Prize, was displayed in the Mitchell Library and toured Australia as part of an exhibition. But he won many others, including the Dobell Prize for Drawing at the Julian Ashton Art School.
"Stavros was very well read on history and politics," Ms Kearns said.
He also channeled his social conscience into works. In Sydney, Stavros held a major exhibition about people sleeping rough on the streets, aiming to give them a voice.
Last October, his acrylic painting, Home Sweet Home, won the Goulburn Workers Club annual art prize.
"The idea is to focus public ambivalence on what homelessness is about...I love getting into characters and people who have worn out faces," he said at the time.
GDAS member Lesley Whitten described Stavros as "an amazing man" who generously taught others and took art to a new level in Goulburn.
"He absolutely did what he loved and loved what he did," she said.
"He was so kind, had a wicked sense of humour and never said a bad word about anyone. Stavros was full of laughter and never went anywhere without his sketch book, even in hospital. It's sad to know he's not here any more."
Gallery on Track member, Lynne Brown said Stavros taught and sold art at the gallery over 10 years.
"He had an amazing impact and all his students thought he was the most wonderful teacher. He had a lovely persona, was always very obliging and was dearly loved by everyone," she said.
Fellow member, Pamela Stephenson fondly recalled how Stavros loved to cook for everyone.
"He was just a beautiful human being," she said.
A celebration of his life will be held at the Crookwell Art Gallery on a date to be advised.
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