A well-known Cypriot sculptor has fallen victim to theft after one of his bronze works was stolen from a sculpture park in Limassol just hours after it was completed.
Artist Filippos Giapanis lost his sculpture titled “Balance” from the sculpture park in Fasoula on Saturday, 20 June 2026, in what he believes was a targeted theft for its metal value.
According to the artist, the work had only been finished the previous night, when it underwent oxidation treatment. He said he was absent from the site on Saturday when the sculpture was taken.
“They entered the sculpture park in Fasoula and took one of my works,” Giapanis said. “It was the only bronze piece there. The others were easier to move, but they only took this one. I believe it was a targeted theft.”
He added that the piece, which depicts a woman holding two children being pulled in opposite directions while she maintains balance within the family, holds deep personal significance for him.
“Sculptures are the soul of every creator, and for me this is my own soul,” he said, announcing a €5,000 reward for the return of the work.
The case echoes a similar incident in 2023, when a bronze sculpture by artist Giota Ioannidou, “Girl with the Hula Hoop”, was stolen from the Hani tou Ibrahim area in Paphos. The work, located in front of a playground, was later recovered in pieces after being cut up and sold as scrap metal.
Despite having an estimated value of around €10,000, the stolen sculpture was reportedly sold for just €85, with several arrests made in connection with the case.
Let’s hope that this is the last time that an artwork is stolen and destroyed.
