Makis Theofylaktopoulos was born in Athens in 1939. He studied drawing at Panos Sarafianos’ studio (1958–60) and later at the Athens School of Fine Arts under Yannis Moralis (1961–1967). In 1964 he won first prize at the 3rd Panhellenic Exhibition for Young Artists, and in 1966 held his first solo exhibition in Athens at Astor Gallery.

From 1969 he lived and worked abroad, mainly in Switzerland and France, and in 1971 worked in New York with a Ford Foundation grant. He returned to Greece in 1975.

The human figure and its relationship with space are central themes in his work. One of his most recognizable motifs is the motorcyclist, a figure that can symbolize authority, speed, or vulnerability. Over time, the depiction of movement in the figure evolved into a broader sense of motion within the painting itself.

Working in oil, acrylic, charcoal, crayons, and mixed media, Theofylaktopoulos developed an energetic, expressionist style characterized by strong drawing, rich color, and dynamic spatial composition.

In 1988 he was elected professor at the School of Fine Arts of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where he taught until 2005. His work has been presented in around twenty solo exhibitions and numerous group shows in Greece and abroad, including the Alexandria Biennale (1977) and Europalia in Brussels (1982). In 2010 the Benaki Museum organized a major retrospective of his work titled Matter Vicissitudes: 1960–2010.

• Graphite on paper,

• 57 × 48 cm

• Oil on paper,

• 48 × 60 cm

• Mixed media on cardboard,

• 48 × 34 cm

• Mixed media on cardboard,

• 48 × 34 cm

• Mixed media on cardboard,

• 39 × 29 cm