Nikolas Vakalis

Biography

Nikolas Vakalis is an internationally accomplished conservator-restorer with over 40 years of experience in the field. He specializes in the restoration of stone artifacts, easel and wall paintings, and polychrome wooden sculptures. Professor Vakalis is known for his extensive involvement in education and restoration planning, and also runs his own restoration business between Rome and Athens. He was founder and served as co-director of the International Institute for Restoration and Preservation Studies from 2010 to 2023 and was an appointed Restoration Consultant for the Archaeological Excavation of the Public Baths at Carsulae from 2015 to 2018. In 2023, he founded Amelia International Conservation Studies, a summer school accredited by West Virginia University, offering intensive courses in the restoration of various materials as well as architectural surveying and historical building analysis.

Throughout his career, Professor Vakalis has worked on various restoration projects in many countries, including China, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Kosovo, Albania, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and the USA. Professor Vakalis holds a Master's degree in Conservation from the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro in Rome. He has also served as an adjunct professor at several universities, including the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro, John Cabot University, West Virginia University, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Additionally, he has taught restoration in various international technical training programs sponsored by organizations such as the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the World Monuments Fund, and UNESCO. More information on Professor Vakalis' work is available on his website.