Stass PARASKOS, born Stasinos Paraskos, was born in Anaphotia, Cyprus, on 17 March 1933 and died in Paphos on 4 March 2014.

In 1953, he moved to England, where he first worked in London and Leeds before enrolling at Leeds College of Art. There he studied under Harry Thubron and came into contact with artists associated with the British modernist movement, including Terry Frost, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and Dennis Creffield. He later spent time in St Ives, Cornwall, where he further developed his artistic language.

Paraskos became one of the most important Cypriot artists of the twentieth century, while also playing a significant role in British art education. His work is mainly figurative, but highly personal and non-naturalistic, combining strong colour, expressive form and imagery rooted in Cypriot village life, mythology, history and memory. His painting reflects influences from Cypriot folk art, Byzantine art and modern European painters such as Paul Gauguin and Henri Matisse.

His compositions often address themes of love, identity, political struggle, social oppression and the history of Cyprus. Through bold colour, simplified figures and a poetic sense of narrative, Paraskos created works that are at once personal, political and deeply connected with the cultural experience of Cyprus.

In 1966, his exhibition *Lovers and Romances* in Leeds led to a well-known obscenity trial, an event that brought him considerable public attention in Britain and became an important episode in the history of post-war British art. Despite the controversy, Paraskos continued to develop a strong artistic and teaching career.

He taught at several British art schools, including Leeds College of Art, Leicester Polytechnic and Canterbury College of Art. In Cyprus, he founded the institution that later became the Cyprus College of Art, helping to establish an important centre for artistic education and international exchange on the island. In Lempa, near Paphos, he also created a large sculpture wall and garden, using found and recycled materials in a mixture of figurative and abstract forms.

In addition to painting and sculpture, Paraskos wrote on Cypriot culture, mythology and art. His works are held in public collections in Cyprus and the United Kingdom, including the State Gallery of Contemporary Cypriot Art, the Arts Council Collection, Leeds Art Gallery and the University of Leeds Art Collection.

Stass Paraskos remains recognised as a major figure in modern Cypriot art, admired for his expressive colour, powerful figurative language, political engagement and lasting contribution to art education in Cyprus and Britain.