George Petrides (b. 1964, Athens, Greece) is a sculptor based in Athens and New York. He specializes in public sculpture, with 25 works permanently installed across more than seven countries worldwide and additional commissions underway. His practice encompasses monumental outdoor installations, large-scale indoor works for civic and institutional settings, and the innovative traveling exhibition Hellenic Heads, a series of six over-life-size busts reimagining Greek history and culture through the lens of his own family. Now in its eighth international venue, in Paris, the exhibition has drawn an estimated audience of more than 100,000 visitors, with further venues to follow. More information at the exhibition specific website, www.hellenicheads.gr

Raised and educated in both Athens and the United States, Petrides is deeply rooted in the traditions of ancient Greek sculpture and the artistic lineages it inspired—from Roman adaptations to Renaissance masters such as Donatello and Michelangelo, through modern innovators like Rodin and Maillol, and contemporary sculptors influenced by this tradition. His creative process is distinctive, synthesizing classical and Renaissance precedents with advanced technologies, adapted to his artistic goals. More about his work, including a short documentary released in 2025, is available at www.petrides.art.

Petrides earned his first degree, in Classics, from Harvard College in 1985. He began his professional career on Wall Street, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. After completing dual master’s degrees at Stanford University in 1993, he returned to Wall Street, eventually becoming Managing Director of M&A at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. While pursuing this career, he took his first art class at the age of 32 and went on to study art part-time for more than two decades, completing courses in drawing, painting, and sculpture in New York and Paris, and later earning a Certificate in Sculpture from the New York Studio School.

In 2017, following the sudden loss of his father and two close friends within days of one another, Petrides chose to devote himself fully to sculpture. Since then, he has established himself as a leading voice in contemporary public art, creating works of enduring cultural resonance that merge historical research, personal narrative, and technological innovation.