Glyn Hughes 1931 - 2014

39 the couple’s performance with a batik by Savva in the background as a set. 41 In October 1961, the first joint exhibition of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot artists was organized, which was opened by Mrs. Souheila Kutchuk. 42 Both Savva and Hughes believed in the need for peaceful coexistence between the two communities. In letters he had sent to his future wife, Christine, Savva writes: “All the problems we have with the Turks are due to the British diplomacy of ‘Divide and Rule.’ Five years ago, we did not have such problems. The Turks lived with us as a minority, now everything is changed.” 43 Besides the exhibitions, the creative collaboration of the two co-founders of the gallery was continuous and fertile, with everyday quests and artistic pleasures. These quests were along the lines of what was happening internationally, during the revolutionary and experimental sixties. Like-minded people with alternative lifestyles and practices formed groups, which challenged the status quo and traditional approaches to art. The founding core of Apophasis lived with art and for art, opening new ways of thinking and social interaction to the Cypriot public of the time. Costas Economou says that after the relocation of the gallery to Apollo Street and after the ‘Autumn Collection’ exhibition, the responsibility for the operation and the activities of the gallery remained exclusively with Christoforos Savva. 44 Eleni Nikita writes the exact same thing: “Soon the new Apophasis will pass under Savva’s sole responsibility.” 45 On the other hand, Savva’s wife writes that Savva thought of establishing a five-member committee to run the gallery. 46 Nevertheless, reading Glyn Hughes’ accounts, it seems that 1960–1962 was a period of extremely strong and prolific synergy between the two men, always centred on Apophasis Gallery. Hughes used to say: “That particular period of time deserves a socio-political analysis to justify reasons for acting and doing exactly what we did, just because we were in Cyprus and not somewhere else.” 47 Apart from two personal exhibitions that they organized in 1961 in the Apophasis (Hughes on 16–19 June 1961 and Savva on 18 November 1961 and in June 1962), they also went on day trips to the countryside during that period. Hughes recalls: May 1962 was the most creative period of my career. I believe it was so for Savva. I passed from his studio and asked him if he wanted to go with me to the countryside. [...] Savva suggested that perhaps we could explore the use of new materials and that was exactly what I had in mind. [The village of] Ayios Theodoros was full of ‘saccules’ (sacks) everywhere and that was the perfect material for our introspective mood. I used it in a much different way than Savva. I was sort of complementing the picture with this material but Savva used it as if it was paint. I was mild with it but he was almost violent going all the way as I was with sand paint. That day we went back to Nicosia without speaking to one another. We isolated ourselves to listen inside of us. When I left him at his studio, he said to me: “same time tomorrow” and that was the beginning of a wonderful month. 48 Indeed, in June 1962 Savva exhibited at the Apophasis Gallery a completely transformed work.