Dimitris Koukos was born in Athens in 1948. He studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts under Yannis Moralis and Nikos Nikolaou, while also pursuing studies in decoration and scenography under Vassilis Vasiliadis (1969–1974). He continued his education at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he studied with Gustave Singier (1975–1978).
He held his first solo exhibition at the "Ora" Art Center in Athens in 1977. His painting explores the boundary between figuration and abstraction. Descriptive representation is often minimized, while color and light are the primary means of expressing space. A central theme in his work is the interpretation of natural landscapes—particularly scenes from Greek nature and the Aegean Sea—transformed into emotionally rich and poetic compositions.
Working mainly with acrylics on canvas, he also uses watercolors. His creative process is rooted in direct observation and focuses on the dynamic movement of light, with vibrant brushwork conveying emotional intensity. Although light often dissolves the contours of forms, his compositions remain structurally precise and carefully balanced.
In parallel with his artistic career, he taught at the Athens School of Fine Arts—first in the studio of Yannis Moralis (1983–1992), and later in that of Dimitris Mytaras (1999).
He has held more than forty solo exhibitions in Greece and internationally and has participated in numerous group exhibitions. His works are included in major public and private collections, such as the National Gallery of Athens, the Rhodes Municipal Gallery, the Vorres Museum, the Cultural Foundation of the National Bank of Greece, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education of Cyprus, the National Bank of Greece, and collections in the United States, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Cyprus.
