Rago Auctions

Born in New York City in 1921, Greek-American sculptor Dimitri Hadzi was renowned for his bold integration of classical themes with 20th-century aesthetics. Hadzi was raised in Greenwich Village and immersed himself in Greek mythology and language in school. Both would become lasting influences on his work. Initially trained in chemistry, his artistic inclinations led him to the Cooper Union after World War II, where he abandoned science for a full-time pursuit of the visual arts. Deeply inspired by modern trailblazers such as Henry Moore and Isamu Noguchi, Hadzi's education and travels—including studies in Greece, Egypt, and Turkey—further rooted his practice in both classical and contemporary traditions.

Hadzi spent a transformative twenty-five years in Rome, beginning in 1951, where he was active in both American and Italian artistic circles. During this time, he began producing large-scale public commissions and exhibited widely, including at the Venice Biennale and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He became known for his expressive forms in bronze and stone, often drawing from mythological and historical sources. Signature works such as Thermopylae (1960s) in Boston and K. 458 The Hunt (1966) in New York reflect his commitment to merging narrative depth with formal innovation. His reputation grew internationally, earning him numerous accolades including the Guggenheim Fellowship, Rome Prize, and election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

In 1975, Hadzi returned to the United States and joined the faculty at Harvard University, where he taught studio art until 1989. At Harvard, he continued to create, teach, and exhibit while also exploring new mediums like ceramics and printmaking. Even in later years, his work remained vital, spanning monumental public installations to intimate gallery compositions. Hadzi passed away in 2006 at the age of eighty-five in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Although some of his public sculptures were later removed or lost, Hadzi's legacy endures through a vast body of work held in museums and collections worldwide. Celebrated for his poetic articulation in three dimensions and cross-cultural resonance, Hadzi continues to speak across time and tradition.