Dubai, 12 December 2009: Opera Gallery presents, for the first time in the Middle East, Alecos Fassianos and Timur D'Vatz – two great artists whose works have been profoundly influenced by mythology.

The exhibition will open at Opera Gallery, located in Gate Village 3, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), on December 9th, 2009. Both artists will be at hand to explain about their works.

Alecos Fassianos, considered a living legend from Greece, combines ancient Greek myth with modern situations, whereas the work of Timur D'Vatz has been inspired by biblical, mystical references and Celtic mythology.

Opera Gallery is confident that art lovers would appreciate the creative genius of the two artists and has invited the public to view their creations.

Abdulla Bin Sougat, Chief Eevutive Officer of DIFC Lifestyle Group pointed out to the rich diversity of art forms that are tansformng the DIFC into one of the world's emerging art hubs. 'Exhibitions such as this one organised by Opera Gallery add value to the worl of art in our community, the country and the region. It enhances qualty of life for the DIFC Community, brings exposure to the artists in this region and also allows emerging local talent to view and learn from the works of internationally recognised artists.'

The exhibition will run until the 24th December, 2009.

Artist Profiles:
Alecos Fassianos
Born in 1935 in Athens, Alecos Fassianos studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts from 1956 to 1960 and moved to Paris to study lithography between
1960 and 1963. He has since lived and worked in both cities, epicentres of
the ancient and modern art worlds.
Fassianos couples these two influences in his work, combining ancient myth
with modern situations. His work is filled with heroic characters and intellectual allegory set amongst everyday life.
He has often exhibited in Paris and Athens, has done numerous solo shows
around the world, and has participated in the Venice Biennial and the Sao Paulo Art Biennial.

Timur D'Vatz
Timur D'vatz was born in Moscow in 1968.
After having studied at the Republic College of Art in Tashkent – Uzbekistan,
he moved to London where he completed his post graduate studies at the
Royal Academy Schools in London.

He has been awarded several prizes among them the Guinness Prize for
the First Time Exhibitor at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition in
London (1994), the A.T. Kearny Prize (1996) and the B.P. Portrait Award 2002 at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Since then, solo exhibitions have been organized in the UK, France, Italy and
United States.