Athanasio Celia

Athanasio Celia (also Athanasios, or Athanassios Celia) is a painter, art expert and author. He is considered the founder of the "Verticality, Vertcalismus, or Verticalism" as a form of artistic expression which the dominance of vertical lines emphasizes in artistic works. These works are also known as “safe art”, because of their elaboration with fire, that makes them immune to forgery. Parallel to his owed the “Verticalism” creations Celia devoted himself to portraiture. As a "Greek artist and art expert" (Reuters, ref. 62), or "Paris-based painter and art historian" (The Guardian, ref. 66), he became worldwide known for his activities in the period 1992 - 2008 and he was interviewed by international audio-visual media such as BBC, Reuters and others.

Accomplishments

Painter

Athanasio Celia was born in Germany. Celia's art exhibitions began in the mid-eighties and he became a “Paris-based painter” (The Guardian) in the nineties. In 1991 his gallery in Paris introduced him as the “youngest established artist in Paris”. And later in the same year followed his exhibition in the “Haus der Kunst” (the Art Museum) in Munich. An all-day auction was dedicated to Celia's art in Germany in 1995. When he settled for the first time in Greece in 1998, the Greek press welcomed him as founder of the “Verticalism – Safe Art” and as the most expensive Greek artist. Athanasio Celia was during his entire career also known for his philanthropic efforts.

Art Expert

Apart from his academic education as “art historian” (The Guardian), Athanasio Celia earned recognition as “art expert” (Reuters) because of his career as artist, but also because his is owner of one of the most complete and largest archives worldwide of unique manuscripts.

• Ancient Greek wreath

In 1992, during an opening act of his own paintings in a gallery in Munich, he examined one ancient artefact of greatest value - a golden Greek wreath (400 BC). After the examination of the object, he gave to the persons who brought him the ancient treasure information of possible interested buyers. Soon the object was sold to "the J. Paul Getty Museum" in Malibu, California. When Athanasio Celia later heard that the golden wreath had been illegally excavated, he informed the German authorities, and, years later, he handed over to the Greek state the photos which had been handed over to him by the smugglers, in order to enable the return of the object to Greece in 2007. An award-winning documentary about the subject has been broadcasted 2011 in several countries.

• Sketchbook attributed to Van Gogh

In a further case, in 2007, Athanasio Celia examined a notebook with sketches which had been looted by the Nazis. In his report he attributed the notebook to the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. His study on the notebook was published in a chapter of the book “The Notebook of Vincent”, for which Athanasio Celia also wrote the preface.

• Painting attributed to Van Gogh

One year later, in 2008, he examined again an artefact which had been looted by the Nazis. This time it was an oil painting, which he also attributed to Vincent van Gogh and according to his report “it was the last painting of Vincent van Gogh”.

Author

• The publication ("God's letters") is about a man who in 2001 recorded a vision, which contained 132 capital letters of the Greek alphabet that created a quadrangular shape 11 to 12. A study revealed that the text is readable in 115 different ways in the ancient Greek language and parallel it encloses depictions and symbols. Besides, it can be simultaneously deciphered mathematically. The whole process of the deciphering shows off an unbreakable mathematical, geometrical and theological coherence which in the end presents 10 big revealing texts. The vision-text, which has as its principal symbol the crucifix of Jesus Christ, turned out to be the Contemporary Revelation.

• The German edition of that study ("Der Logos - Der Gottes Beweis"), is published by the same Protestant publisher who also publishes the renowned "German biographical encyclopaedia covering persons related to the history of the Church". And it is broadly accepted by German Christian communities who also represent it through their bookstores. Furthermore, the book is registered in the "Index Theologicus" of the University of Tübingen and in other university libraries.

Publications

• "Ω - ο Λόγος", published by EPOS 2006, Greek, ISBN 9789609225304
• "Der Logos - Der Gottes Beweis", published by Traugott Bautz Verlag 2015, German, ISBN 978-3-88309-968-2
• Preface for Diodora Doreta Peppa:"The Notebook of Vincent", Concept Maniax Publications / Epos Editions 2008, ISBN 978-9609806121
• "God's letters", published by Athanasios Seliachas 2018, English, ISBN 978-9609225311

External links

• Saatchi Art | https://www.saatchiart.com/account/profile/92876
• Literature by Athanasio Celia in the catalogue of the German National Library | https://portal.dnb.de/opac.htm?method=simpleSearch&cqlMode=true&query=nid%3D106844214X