1.What's your inspiration for designing all those fine things?
The inspiration comes from the beautiful Cycladic island of Sifnos where I live in. My aim is to create organic and minimal ceramic pieces that capture the extraordinary qualities of the island—the clarity of the sky, the sparkle of the sea, the whitewashed walls of the villages, and the unique Mediterranean light. All these influence my colour palette too. Turquoise, lavender blue, pure white, dusty pink, sunny yellow and more…
2.You travel a lot. It's an inner need or just fun?
It is a way of life. I have traveled a lot since I was a child and still continue to do so. Only now my journeys have become much longer both in time and kilometers. Last year I was together with my partner for three months in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Three years ago, I was in India, Sri Lanka and Australia for another two months. It is definitely an inner need of my soul, but it includes a lot of fun and adventure. I always travel unorganized, never knowing where my next stop will be and for how long. These journeys have changed my attitude towards life. Since my first trip to India I have become a yoga teacher, and changed everything about my lifestyle. I found out that there are no limits to what you want to do, and how you can get what you aim for as long as you want to work hard for it and “go with the flow” .
3.You started your career as a marketing expert, but you changed your life completely. do you miss all these crazy deadlines, working hours, and ''pressure''?
I thank God every day for not doing that anymore, for not being in Athens and for living in this beautiful island. Anxiety, pressure and deadlines are a thing long forgotten. Long working hours is not, but I do not consider them as such. I love what I do and I do not even realize I am working so hard. Most of the times I do not even know what day it is, weekdays and weekends are merged into one same thing, day in, day out I work and then when the sun is shining I stop everything and go for a hike or swim. I am my own boss and I make my own schedule. I might be working hard for 9 months but I get 3 months to travel.
4. Wha'ts like living in an island like Sifnos?
Sifnos has a unique beauty. It is a hidden Paradise. And it has two faces. One in the summer that most people know. Many tourists, lots of work at the workshop (I sell my things exclusively in the summer), two hours of swimming at noon and then again work. Most of our friends come then and we get to see them somehow during these crazy hours. But in winter when everybody leaves, the island gets quite and green and we get our time off. We attend our garden, do all the things we do not have the time to do in the summer, lots of hiking in the excellent paths, reading, see friends and cook dinners and cakes. It is a time when you have the peace of mind to listen to and feel your own self. It helps if you are a little bit introverted. I love getting out of the house and being able to see the birds and the sky and sea. I do not miss many things from Athens. Some cinemas maybe, and galleries. But then again when I was in Athens, I never had the time to visit them so often anyway…
5.What feedback do you get from your clients?
When I first started the ceramic workshop in 2009 I had no idea what I was doing and getting into… I am a self-taught ceramist, spent some months with a very good master here at the island who showed me how to throw on the wheel and that is it… I learned everything else by experience. My style evolved immediately. It comes from deep within, flowing into my hands and into the clay. That same year a client just announced to me that she will do an exhibition with my things. I could hardly believe it. Then the next year the Museum of Cycladic Art somehow found out about me and asked to have my work at their art shop. Next came Milano and exhibitions there… This year it was the Mshop of the Athens Concert Hall. And lately somebody called me to do exports to India and Japan… All these projects are still running and I have more in my hands than I can handle but I manage somehow… But foremost are my clients that come to my workshop. I have a long and faithful clientele, many of whom have become very close friends, plus the tourists. What really pays off all those hard working hours is the smile on their faces and joy they feel when they find something from my work they like.
6.Where we can see your entire work?
The entire work is available only at the workshop here in Sifnos and only during the 7 months of the summer season. However the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens carries many of my items both in ceramics and porcelain jewellery and the Mshop of the Athens Concert Hall. And in Milan at exhibitions.
7.Your next business goals?
My new project is porcelain and specifically porcelain jewellery. I did a test drive just for fun last summer and it was more successful than I ever anticipated. So now I would like to find galleries and shops to work with to make them more available. And whatever else the universe has in store for me…
8.Is art the food for our soul....?
Art, literature and poetry is definitely food for the soul. But for my soul Love, and the philosophy of Yoga is the food. And the food my love cooks. Just to know that he cares for me gives me all the inner strength to do what I do.
9 Crisis. Is it something that made us better persons, or its just a myth?
I deeply believe that it will make us better persons. Whoever will not realize this (and hopefully soon) will in due time pay his/her karma. I have seen so many examples of people striving and succeeding in something new because of the crisis. I started 10 years ago when Athens was still in her glorious and fake days, but somehow could foresee what was about to come and had the time to change everything beforehand. But I see the same behavior with many people now, changing their lifestyle and becoming purer and more simple. Returning to a healthier life and leaving Athens. Deprived of their former work, finally deciding to do what they love and becoming very good at it. It is a liberation. All obstacles in life with either kill us or make us stronger.
10 Is Greece a place only for holidays or it's something more than that?
Greece is definitely so much more than that. It is true that it is one of the most beautiful and diverse countries I have ever traveled to. But it is so much more. First of all it is the Apollonian Light hat is still so alive. And a conglomeration of magnificent emotions and poetry. It is a country with many well kept secrets only waiting to be discovered by the true seekers. And it has so much to offer. It has a strong and dynamic heart reinforced by the young people. And as I said, there is no limit to what we can achieve with hard work, faith and passion.