Draft:Yanni Pounartzis

Yanni Pounartzis (born 29 February 1968) is a Greek-Australian multi-disciplinary artist who is known for his vivid, geometric abstract paintings, public artworks and sculptures.

Life
Pounartzis was born in Canberra and educated at Canberra Grammar School. In 1996, he moved to Sydney where he worked as an Advertising Creative in agencies including Leo Burnett, Mojo, The Campaign Palace and Saatchi & Saatchi, where he created the award-winning Glass Organs commercial for Toyota.

Whilst in advertising, Pounartzis received training in abstract art at the National Art School in 2008, where he developed his own unique, hard-edge style. In 2012, he had his first solo exhibition.

After several sellout shows, Pounartzis left advertising to pursue his art career and in 2015, he dedicated a winter to painting in Berlin. He then returned to Canberra to embark on a new artistic endeavour titled The Lost Plans. Inspired by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffins' original 1912 design of Canberra, the series aimed to evoke the essence of their vision.

Between 2016-2020, Pounartzis had several solo exhibitions and in 2018 he painted his first mural for the Design Canberra Festival. This was his introduction to Public Art, which led to more significant commissions.

His notable public artworks include an unconventional mural titled Vineyards for the Orange City Council, Pedestrian Strips for Surface Festival in Canberra and a laneway mural titled No Name Lane for the Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council. No Name Lane is his largest mural to date and covers two walls measuring 25 metres long and 10 metres high. The mural won the 2023 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Small Projects and Regional Achievement Award.

Pounartzis' produced his first conceptual artwork in 2022 by creating Big Swoop, a magpie sculpture feeding on a chip in Canberra's city centre, Garema Place. This whimsical sculpture captured the hearts of locals and garnered national acclaim, earning its place among the renowned Australian Big Things. The Royal Australian Mint and Australia Post collaborated to release a collectible coin featuring Big Swoop, which became available for sale nationwide and entered circulation as legal currency. Pounartzis also created a Big Swoop merchandising brand.

Exhibitions/Work
Pounartzis' solo exhibitions and public artworks include:

No Name Lane mural, Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council, Queanbeyan (2022); Snow Gums, Grainger Gallery, Canberra (2022); Big Swoop sculpture, City Renewal Authority, Canberra (2022); Pedestrian Strips mural, Surface Festival, Canberra (2021); Vineyards mural, Orange City Council, Orange (2021); Geometric Shadows 11am mural, Orange City Council, Orange (2021); LGBQTI Flags mural, City Renewal Authority, Canberra (2020); Ticket Box mural, City Renewal Authority, Canberra (2020); Geometric Shadows Noon mural, Mural, Design Canberra Festival, Canberra (2018); The Lost Plans, M16 Gallery, Canberra, (2016); 8 Paintings, M16 Gallery, Canberra, (2017); Metropolis Steals Our Souls, MOP Projects, Sydney (2016); Splendid Views, Salon Dahlmann, Berlin, (2014); Paintings from SQ1, The Depot Gallery, Sydney (2014); Disorient, MOP Projects, Sydney (2014); The Deconstructions, Global Gallery, Sydney (2012).