HAMBIS MUNICIPAL MUSEUM OF PRINTMAKING — Attraction in Nicosia

A truly world-class museum in a beautiful and functional space. The current exhibitions (to May 31, 2023) are selected works of Lambros Orphanou (1944-66), and the Museum’s founder Hambis Tsangaris (HAMBIS - From Painting to Printmaking, 1970-1982).

Orphanou’s work is exquisite, humourous, evocative - and often all will describe one small piece in black and white. Many of the prints depict scenes from carnivals, and Mme Marthe the fortune teller winking at you from her caravan is a visual delight, taking you to a time and place that no longer exists but you wish it did and would gladly give her your 20-100 francs for the opportunity of her soothsaying.

The work of Hambis takes you from the paintings that showed his exceptional early talent, his earliest prints that drove him to become a printmaker, his time as an art student in Russia, and the invasion and occupation of his country that forever denied him and so many others (both Greek and Turkish) the ability to return home. In addition to the prints there are displays of the drawings, linocuts, single-colour prints, and tools used to create the final product. Some of these works have not been displayed to the public in a long time, or ever.

There is something special about printmakers and the images they can create, and this museum and its current exhibitions display talent that should be on the walls of any major art museum/gallery anywhere in the world.

The (weekday) museum host and administrator, Maria, is very knowledgeable about the work and a pleasure to talk to. Go see these or any future exhibitions if you live in or are visiting Lefkosia/Nicosia - you will be transported to other times and places and see some true...

The opening night was well attended, the new building looks a perfect mix of new and traditional. Great to see a broad range of prints on display. I would have loved to have seen more by Mr Hambis Tsaggaris. He is too modest. It is not far from NiMac and it would make a good trip, to see both in one day. Easy to walk, parking on...

A really interesting museum! Anastasia was so lovely that she gave us a lot of information about Hambis' work and shared her personal...