Several notable results at Cypria Auctions’ Summer Sale suggest continued collector interest in artists whose contribution to Cypriot art history may exceed their current market visibility.
Among the strongest performances of the sale was a work by Loukia Nicolaidou-Vassiliou, which achieved €5,500 against an estimate of €950–€1,500. One of the first women painters of Cyprus, Nicolaidou-Vassiliou occupies a distinctive place in the island’s artistic history. The result highlights sustained collector appreciation for her work and for her contribution to the development of twentieth-century Cypriot art.
The sculpture section also produced a noteworthy result with Ioannis Antoniou’s ceramic sculpture Suitcase (1989), which sold for €1,900 against an estimate of €900–€1,500. Antoniou, whose work combined conceptual inquiry with exceptional craftsmanship, remains one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Cypriot sculpture. The result suggests renewed attention to an artist whose work has not always received the commercial recognition accorded to his artistic importance.
Particularly interesting results were also achieved by works of Christoforos Savva (1924–1968), one of the founding figures of Cypriot modernism. While an untitled oil composition realised €1,600 within estimate, Landscape (1960), a small mixed-media work on paper measuring only 8 x 13.5 cm, attracted strong bidding and sold for €1,400 against an estimate of €450–€750. The result demonstrates that collector interest in Savva extends beyond major works and highlights continued demand for intimate compositions by an artist widely recognised as one of the most innovative figures in the history of Cypriot art.
Taken together, the results for Nicolaidou-Vassiliou, Antoniou and Savva suggest that collectors are increasingly engaging with artists whose historical significance, scholarly recognition and artistic contribution continue to shape the narrative of Cypriot art. While market values often fluctuate over time, the sale demonstrated that rarity, quality and historical importance remain powerful drivers of collector interest.
For further information: Cypria Auctions
