Glyn Hughes 1931 - 2014

35 character. The synergy of the two artists constituted the explosive mixture that art in Cyprus needed in order to move forward. The unconventional artistic presence of Savva was already felt, both by other artists and by Nicosians who seemed to be, or positioned themselves to be, more informed about art. One could even say that there was an even distribution of intensity, from the influence of his way of life and attitude towards things, as well as from his pioneering achievements in art, such as his appliques, his cement reliefs or his wire sculptures. Savva, who was characterized by many as having a distinctive innocence and even naivety, was fully informed about what was going on in the world of art and, in addition, as Hughes informs us, “he was very well read”. 35 Hughes brought to Cyprus the cosmopolitan spirit of Great Britain of the 1950s and especially the London scene. He finds in the 1960’s Cyprus fertile ground to introduce his passionate and colourful artistic enthusiasm that had begun to shape before coming to the island. Also, despite the conservative views of the Cypriot society, the artist appears to feel more liberated not only in his art but also in his erotic preferences. In contrast to Great Britain, Hughes apparently felt quite comfortable in Cyprus, viewing the place as safe and its people fairly discreet. For Ruth Keshishian, Hughes belonged to the imperialist tradition of men (and women) who felt sexually more comfortable abroad than in their homeland. Outside Britain it was easier to practise their inclinations, as in the cases of Sir Harry Luke, Rupert Gunnis and Aubrey de Sélincourt, among others, who felt quite liberated in Cyprus. 36 As Hughes remembers: Coming to the Middle East has brought me into contact with minarets and domes and/or just my inner needs and preferences... that evidently had the same shapes. The personality of an individual who is ready to attack an empty canvas is directly related to one’s erotic tendencies and passion, which is intensified by colour and scent, by the view and the sound, by the culture and the politics, by the self and the self’s ability to fall in love... and Cyprus had it all... so I stayed. 37 Εικόνα 1 . Οι Γκλυν Χιουζ και Χριστόφορος Σάββα στην αυλή της γκαλερί Απόφασις 1 στην οδό Σοφοκλέους. Φωτογραφία του Georges der Parthogh, Ίδρυμα Γκλυν Χιουζ. Figure 1 . Glyn Hughes and Christoforos Savva in the courtyard of Apophasis Gallery 1 at Sophocleous Street. Photograph by Georges der Parthogh, Glyn Hughes Foundation.