Master iconographer Dr. George Kordis was back at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in June, leading workshops and offering demonstrations to students.
The Seminary’s Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) has been collaborating with Dr. Kordis and his Writing the Light school of iconography for several years. He was ISA’s inaugural Artist in Residence in the spring of 2022 and has trained students on campus nearly every summer since then.
This year, he offered a five-day icon painting intensive in the Byzantine system both for beginners and more advanced, from June 15–19. The Seminary welcomed to campus both independent students and others participating in Writing the Light’s certificate program.
During this visit to the Seminary Dr. Kordis completed two icons: one of St. Demetrius and one of The Purification of Isaiah.
(Photo: Coastlands Photography)
(Photo: Coastlands Photography)
ABOUT DR GEORGE KORDIS
Eminent iconographer George Kordis has the rare distinction for a practicing artist of a complete academic training in theology, with advanced theological degrees from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Boston and the University of Athens, where he was assistant professor in iconography (theory and practice). His training as a painter preceded and motivated his move into theology: During the 1980s he worked with the Cypriot master iconographer, Fr. Symeon Symeou, and also studied painting at The School of Fine Arts at The Museum of Boston from 1987–89; and even while obtaining his doctorate (Athens) in 1991 he continued his studies in painting and engraving under Fotis Mastichiadis. Dr. Kordis has been a visiting professor teaching icon painting courses at Yale University, the University of South Carolina, the University of Bucharest/Department of Orthodox Theology, and Ukraine Pedagogical University, Odessa, while continuing to create major church programs of iconography—including several in the US (see Holy Trinity in Columbia, SC and, recently, Holy Trinity in Pittsburgh and panel icons, which have been seen in numerous prominent exhibitions at Yale University and elsewhere). Kordis is also a prolific author with wide-ranging interests: theory and practice of Orthodox iconography, Fayum mummy portraits, Theophan the Cretan, Andrei Rublev, Fotis Kontoglou, Greek folk art, and many other topics.
Read his full CV and explore his expansive work.
PHOTO GALLERY: Scenes from Writing the Light Workshops
