Glyn Hughes 1931 - 2014

19 Introduction This essay examines aspects of the visual arts scene in the early years of the Republic of Cyprus and considers the fundamental role played by the Apophasis Gallery and its co-founders, Christoforos Savva and Glyn Hughes, in the evolution of art in Cyprus since the early 1960s. In particular, the text focuses on the creative partnership between Savva and Hughes. Through anecdotal material and primary information regarding the synergy of the two artists, mainly from Glyn Hughes’ written narratives, we take a deeper look into the Apophasis Gallery and its operations. We examine closely the contributions of these two artists in the formation of a new perception of art in Cyprus. The establishment of the Apophasis Gallery was unique not only because it was the first artist- run space in Cyprus, but also because it was a non-profit institution, an extremely radical and pioneering fact even by the international standards of the time. From the 1950s onwards, such spaces were mainly established in the major metropolitan centres of art, such as in New York, Los Angeles, London, Geneva and San Francisco, where the need for such spaces arose from the hegemonic domination of established museums and galleries, as well as the great difficulties contemporary young and avant-garde artists faced in presenting their experimental art practices and pioneering work to the public. In Cyprus, however, Savva and Hughes, realizing that there were no specialized art spaces on the island and eager to draw from the intense creative experiences they acquired abroad, decided to establish the first organized art space in Cyprus and, at the same time, to “raise the aesthetic level of the public and to stimulate its interest in art.” 1 By examining the creative interactions between Hughes and Savva, this essay seeks to highlight the decisive contribution of both artists –not just Savva’s as is common– to this historical undertaking, which had been overlooked until now by the historiography of Cypriot Art. Even though Glyn Hughes is acknowledged as the co-founder of Apophasis Gallery by most writers on the subject, the role he played in the development of the gallery is seen as somewhat marginal. On the one hand, this may be due to the fact that he was a foreigner, and, on the other, that Welsh-born Hughes was overshadowed by the explosive but brief presence of Cypriot- born Savva in the art scene of the island. The ‘Cypriotness’ of Apophasis –the cornerstone of progressive art at the time– was crucial for the art narrative of the new Republic of Cyprus.