Life, the city | The legendary painter of Villeray

Our journalist wanders around Greater Montreal to talk about people, events and places that make the heart of their neighbourhood beat.

In the summer, when the weather is nice, it is unmissable: Konstantinos Glymenakis paints on his balcony. His door at 7436, rue Drolet is wide open and so many paintings fill the walls that one wonders if it is his house or a museum.

“A lot of people ask me how many painters there are,” he says.

The answer: just him.

In his triplex in the Villeray district, there are dozens of paintings, even hundreds, from the ground floor to the basement. “It’s everywhere!” says his daughter Maria.

From his balcony, sitting calmly in front of his easel, Konstantinos Glymenakis likes to welcome passers-by and invite them inside to show them his work. “He always paints when he can,” emphasizes the one who takes care of him.

The second son of a family of eight children of Greek origin, Konstantinos Glymenakis was born on the island of Crete in 1938. At the age of 12, he left his small village for the city of Chania where he pursued ecclesiastical studies. Failing to become a priest, he developed a passion for painting. “I had a teacher who was a real artist and who taught me the basics.”

Later, Mr. Glymenakis worked at sea on ships. “I finished my military service just after World War II and you had to work to eat.”

One day, when he wanted to return to Greece, he was instead dropped off at the port of Vancouver. Young Kosta then took the train to Montreal with only his cousin’s address written on a piece of paper in his pocket as a guide.

Mr. Glymenakis worked for a textile company from 1968 to 1997, where he held the position of warehouse manager. As a worker and father, he lacked time to paint. In retirement, he was able to return to drawing and painting full-time, and even more so when his wife Eleftheria Panagidi passed away in 2013 after more than 45 years of marriage.

Konstantinos Glymenakis says he sold seven paintings during a major solo exhibition in 2007. He was a frequenter of The Arts Club, founded in 1912, where he also taught classes. He also regrets that the historic Sherbrooke Street location – formerly Victoria Street – where he also taught classes, no longer exists.

Paint with complete freedom

“I do both abstract and realistic painting,” Glymenakis says. “But the majority of my paintings come from my imagination.”

At the first brushstroke, explains the artist, he does not know what the final result will be. His approach is instinctive and he is fond of landscapes, whether those that emerge in his head or those of Jarry Park. “The colors tell me where to go.”

Like someone typing on a typewriter, Mr. Glymenakis often paints from left to right, starting from the top. He does not multiply the canvases to sell them, but because it is stronger than him. He is asked: “How do you paint this?” He answers: “I do not know and I cannot explain.”

How does he feel when he is at work? “Happy. Very happy,” he replies. “I like to pass the time by doing something with my hands.”

Konstantinos Glymenakis, who turned 86 in May, lives with Maria, his only daughter. “We’ve been in this house for over 40 years,” explains the woman who loves the Villeray neighbourhood and also takes care of her uncle who lives in a retirement home.

While Mr. Glymenakis is well known to the Villerois, he has also caused a sensation on TikTok. Posted online last year, the video by content creator Alysia James has been viewed more than half a million times!

Check out influencer Alysia James’ video

During our visit, a woman stopped by to meet Mr. Glymenakis after a yoga class. Her classmates at the nearby Bhavana studio told her that she absolutely had to meet the painter if he was out on his balcony as usual.

“I’ve come to see the legend,” said Marianne Desrosiers.

We can not say it better.