Paul Soulikias

Paul Soulikias
A self-portrait by the artist
Born	Paleologos Soulikias (1926-10-13)October 13, 1926 Komotini, Greece
Nationality	Canadian, Greek
Known for	Painting
Notable work	Canadian landscapes
Spouse(s)	Helen Kantza

Paul Soulikias, Institut des artists figuratifs (I.A.F.) (born October 13, 1926) is a Greek-Canadian artist painter, known primarily for his Canadian landscape scenes.

Paul (Paleologos) Soulikias was born in Komotini, Greece in 1926, and raised in Volos. After the hardships of the German Occupation and the Greek Civil War, he spent time studying art in Athens and in Paris and ultimately settled in Montreal in 1959. His value as an artist-painter was first recognized in 1965 at a competition among Neo-Canadians, where he received the first prize. During the same year, Soulikias participated in the exhibition for Quebec artists, organized by the City of Montreal and was invited by mayor Jean Drapeau to sign the city's Golden Book. He then exhibited his recent works on the Laurentians at the Galerie de la Place for which The Montreal Star art critic Michael Ballantyne praised him and spoke of his 'ravishing harmonies'.

In 1966, Soulikias was married to educator Helen Kantza and began dedicating himself fully to painting by rendering artistically the Canadian autumn and winter.

By 1967, his paintings were shown in known Montreal galleries such as the Galerie Moos Inc. and Galerie Gauvreau and in 1968 he began a long collaboration with Galerie L'Art français. On one of his exhibitions there, art critic Hélène Ouellet wrote:

...by his grasp of landscape, this European artist is renewing the rich tradition of the Group of Seven and of all those Canadian artists who have made nature their guide and inspiration.

By 1974, he began his association with The Dominion Gallery and in 1982 the gallery's owner, Dr Max Stern offered him a joint exhibition together with sculptor Henry Moore which was associated with the presentation of a book on Paul Soulikias' works published in the Marcel Broquet Signatures series. Since then, he has exhibited his works in Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, New York, Athens and elsewhere in Canada, the U.S.A and Greece.