MONTCLAIR, NJ.- The Montclair Art Museum (MAM) presents Yanni Fotiadis: Architect as Artist, on view October 10–November 30, 2025.

Architects are often secret artists, and that is certainly true of John “Yanni” Fotiadis. After earning a master’s degree in architecture from Columbia University, Fotiadis spent thirty years designing buildings. During the pandemic, he returned to his first love of drawing and painting and also discovered a new passion for digital art.

Yanni Fotiadis: Architect as Artist reflects his lifelong connection to the landscapes, philosophical heritage, and personal memories of Greece, the country of his ancestors.

The exhibition features works on canvas, paper, and digital renderings displayed alongside his many concept sketches. Fotiadis describes sketching as “a way of seeing.” These works, as captivating as the finished pieces, reveal how an architect’s eye for design becomes art.

Architecture informs every piece, yet Fotiadis blurs the boundaries between disciplines. His figurative art is both precise and lyrical, rooted in structure but alive with mythological and philosophical ideas.

More than a display of finished works, the exhibition opens a window into Fotiadis’s creative process. Visitors will see how an artist with deep roots in both Montclair and Greece transforms memory and design into visual narrative.

Fotiadis’s relationship with the Montclair Art Museum has come full circle. He first studied drawing at the museum as a child and today teaches architectural history and drawing in its School of Art. Reflecting on this journey, he noted, “It’s a milestone in my life both as an artist and as a person. The Montclair Art Museum was a beacon for me as a boy, and it’s fair to say that my early experience here played a key role in shaping me into the artist I am today.” With Yanni Fotiadis: Architect as Artist, he presents his first solo exhibition at the very institution where his artistic journey began.

This exhibition is curated by Leah Fox, Director, Vance Wall Art Education Center, and Celene Ryan, Assistant Director, Community and Access Programs.