The home of painter George Gavriel was the target of an explosive attack late Thursday afternoon, 18 December, following a week of political targeting and death threats over his latest art exhibition.
According to Dialogos, the attack occurred in the village of Kokkinotrimithia while the artist was at home with his wife, children, and grandchildren. According to Gavriel, two motorcycles were heard approaching the residence shortly before two explosions damaged the balcony of the house. No injuries were reported, though the family has been left traumatised by the event.
Police have cordoned off the scene in Kokkinotrimithia and are currently conducting a forensic examination of the explosive residues. Investigators are also reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area to identify the two motorcyclists.
Escalation from censorship to violence
The attack follows a rapid escalation of hostility toward Gavriel and the owner of the Blue Iris Gallery in Paphos, where his exhibition, Antisystemic Art, was abruptly cancelled on Sunday. The gallery owner reportedly received multiple death threats and warnings that his property would be destroyed unless the works—which depict religious and political figures in provocative, secular contexts—were removed.
Political tension has surrounded Gavriel for years, but reached a boiling point this week after Efthymios Diplaros, the Deputy President of DISY, shared a collage of Gavriel’s work on social media, labelling it “crude blasphemy.” The artist has since accused Diplaros of spreading “fake news” by creating a doctored image to incite public anger, while the far-right ELAM party formally requested that the Police Chief initiate criminal proceedings against the painter for “insulting the Orthodox faith.”
The Law Office has previously been involved in cases concerning Gavriel’s work. In 2021, a disciplinary probe against him was dropped after the Law Office determined that his artistic creations did not constitute a breach of his professional duties as a secondary school principal. This latest incident is expected to reignite the debate over the state’s responsibility to protect artists from extrajudicial intimidation.