Efi Kounellis, Artist and Wife of Jannis, Dies at 89

Efi Kounellis, an artist and costume designer who was the wife and lifelong collaborator of Arte Povera pioneer Jannis Kounellis, died in Rome on February 9, 2023, at age 89. Born in 1934 on the Greek island of Kimolos, she moved to Rome with Jannis in 1956, where she studied set design at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Via Ripetta alongside her husband and Pino Pascali, becoming a close friend of the latter. She initially worked in Roman cinema, collaborating with Lina Wertmüller on the set of 'Mimì metallurgico ferito nell'onore.' However, her artistic path was deeply shaped by her partnership with Jannis, whom she supported in his work from the early days of Arte Povera—through the Alphabet, roses, gases, fires, the parrot, the horses at Galleria L'Attico, and the 'golden wall' period. In 1972, their son Damiano was born; later in the decade, the couple separated de facto (Jannis later partnered with Michelle Coudray until his death in 2017), but they remained married. The Kounellis Archive described her as 'a reference of greatness and integrity, vision and beauty.' Fabio Sargentini of Galleria L'Attico recalled her artistic input, noting that Jannis always consulted her, and that she even designed sweaters for him made with rolled nylon stockings, calling them 'a masterpiece.'