Eugenios SPATHARIS was born in Kifissia, Athens, on 2 January 1924 and died in Athens on 9 May 2009.

He was the son of Sotiris Spatharis, one of the great masters of Greek shadow theatre, from whom he learned the art of Karagiozis. Although his father initially wished him to become an architect, Eugenios Spatharis gradually devoted himself to shadow theatre, painting and performance. He began giving public performances during the German Occupation, using the traditional figure of Karagiozis and heroic themes to entertain and encourage audiences during a difficult period in Greek history.

Spatharis became the most celebrated Greek shadow theatre artist of the twentieth century. Through theatre performances, recordings, cinema and television, he brought the tradition of Karagiozis to a wide public and helped preserve one of the most characteristic forms of Greek popular culture. From the 1960s onwards, his performances were broadcast on Greek state television, introducing shadow theatre to new generations.

In addition to his work as a puppeteer, Spatharis was also active as a painter. His paintings often drew from the world of shadow theatre, Greek history, folklore and popular imagery. They are characterised by vivid colour, narrative clarity, humour and a strong decorative quality, reflecting the same imaginative and theatrical spirit that defined his performances.

He collaborated with important Greek artists, musicians and theatre figures, and presented his work in Greece and abroad. In 1991, he founded the Spathario Museum of Shadow Theatre in Maroussi, dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Greek shadow theatre and the art of Karagiozis.

Eugenios Spatharis received numerous honours for his contribution to Greek culture, including awards in Greece and abroad. He remains recognised as the leading modern master of Greek shadow theatre and an important folk artist whose work preserved, renewed and popularised the tradition of Karagiozis.