KYRIAKOS KAZIRAS

The photographer Kyriakos KAZIRAS was born in Athens in 1966. He encountered photography at the early age of seven, when he received his first camera. His paternal grandfather was a painter and his maternal grandfather photographer, actually, it gave him the opportunity during his younger years, to develop a strong affinity with art and picture composition.

His parents moved to Geneva, Kyriakos KAZIRAS learnt French there. Then he studied French literature in Sorbonne University. At the same time, he has kept on practicing photography and he bought a second hand Praktika, a medium-format camera. After graduating, he worked for a society specialized in staging shop windows when photography caught him back.

It was during a trip to Zimbabwe that Kyriakos KAZIRAS felt the urge to photograph. The African landscapes, with their vivid lights and the wild animals, acted as a catalyst of Kyriakos KAZIRAS’ photo passion, which was until that moment only a hobby. Therefore, Kyriakos KAZIRAS has gone for excursions all around the world, meeting men and animals to photograph them, a personal way to report the magic beauty and the fragility of our planet.

Kyriakos KAZIRAS defends an artistic vision of photography.

Kyriakos KAZIRAS’ photos are prepared upstream. He work with local guides, knowing very well the places and the animal behavior. At first, some scouting excursions allow Kyriakos KAZIRAS to check on the possible views and to identify the light changings. After that, the photographer polish up the composition, watch, wait for the encounter with his subject to occur. It needs to have a connexion.

In his more recent projects Kyriakos KAZIRAS focus on catching on pictures the soul of the cities, have a look for example at New-York Dream series. For this purpose, he used a compact camera, allowing him to take snapshots.

Kyriakos KAZIRAS has published his photos in the form of books and prints in very limited editions. He is fond of black and white use, because of the timeless feeling it gives and its ability to sublimate his subjects.