Exekias, also Execias
(lived about 550-525BC),

Greek potter and vase painter, who excelled in the black-figure style of the 6th century BC. His vases are noted for their refined and slender elegance and strong, incisive painting.

Of nine extant vases, probably the most famous is the Vatican Museum vase depicting the mythological warriors Ajax and Achilles playing dice, which shows Exekias's characteristic qualities of balanced composition, precise drawing of figures, and their elegant disposition around the circumference of the vase.

His painting has a grandeur and power that are derived from his talent for portraying the particular dramatic moment in a scene when the gestures of the participants reveal their inner thoughts.