Yannis Kefallinos was born in Alexandria into a wealthy urban family from Cephallonia and Chios. A brilliant student, he followed his artistic inclinations early on and studied art history and painting in France, where he lived for several years.

In 1930, he settled in Greece and was appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts. He was the Head of the engraving workshop, where he perfected the technique. He became particularly involved in the art of the book, both in France and in Greece.

His work with the Greek postal service (1950-54) led to the creation of stamps that won prizes worldwide..

He was never interested in the publicity of his work, which justifies the name given to him by P. Prevelakis in his obituary as "the silent one". He agreed to show the public only two completed works: The Peacock (1946) and The Ten White Lecythi (1956)..

Kefallinos' relationship with his students was never formal. He showed genuine interest and cared for them as a father would. His innate kindness (his relatives called him "Kalogiannis" [Good John]) and his sense of solidarity and justice, drove him to defend the weak and promote peace..

In 1954, he was elected director of the Athens School of Fine Arts, a position he held until his death. Under his direction, the school would take an interest in and take a stand on issues of culture, freedom and human rights, issues that had always preoccupied him, as he considered life to be a primary value, free from ideological dogmatism: he was a conscientious objector during the First World War and the campaign in Asia Minor. During the Second World War, he and his students, created posters to encourage people and support Cyprus's struggle against the British occupation..

PPM-347.
Reconstruction. 1951. Agriculture - Depiction of cultivated fields with the goddess Demeter. One of the printing proofs for the stamp series 2000 DRS.