- Describe your work
My name is Evi Louka, I design and create objects of everyday use. My favorite material is porcelain because it makes things more beautiful, charming, delicate, and elegant.
My work is a source of great satisfaction. It makes me happy, that shapes can become real and can be shared with you. I try to capture the sense of beauty in a usable form, wich is quite unique in itself.
- Three of your fav quotes
1. Not only can we create art, but art also creates us.
2. An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.
3. Action is the foundation key to all success.
- Any advice on taking care of your spirit?
Meditate every day!
- Any advice on self-care and wellness? Something that made a difference in your life? Any transformational?
For the past three years, I have been meditating for a short time every day. Meditation has profoundly transformed my life is such a manner that I could never thought possible.
- Great advice that you've received
It’s ok to do things alone and vibe by yourself was the greatest advice I ever received.
- One of your greatest lessons? You can get as real as you want.
There are so many lessons I have learned throughout my life, some good and some bad experiences. One of my greatest lessons is that no one can make you happy except yourself.
Someone can give you a gift and make you happy for a moment but to be happy in the long term you need to work it yourself. You need to do the things in life that you love to do and feel proud of.
- Any creative ideas that you love?
I love the terrazzo technique which has an interesting history with roots all over the globe. Made popular in the 1920s, 1940’s,1960’s and 1970’s, Terrazzo is back and it’s creating quite a stir in the world of interior design… again.
- If you could say something to every woman?
You are powerful! You are powerful simply because you are alive. You are powerful when single or married. You are powerful as a business owner or employee. You are powerful no matter how much money you make. You are powerful whether you are parent or not. You are powerful alone and women can be powerful together.
- Creative tools you love?
Once in a while an idea for a piece creates the need for a tool to perform a specific tasc. Since I am always anxious to get to the work, I want to find quickly and get on with the best part, making the piece. I begin by looking around at the bounty of household items, home hardware and tools, manufactured pottery tools, and so on to see if there is anything that might do the task after a quick modification. Often I find that I have to DIY my own pottery tools too.
- What is beauty to you?
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, an old saying proclaims. I am keen on wabi sabi philosophy. That is because wabi sabi is an entire aesthetic universe, it is holistic but utterly simple view of the world, a world where the beauty of things is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.
- Any hobbies that you have?
I am an avid photographer. I picked up this hobby only a couple of years ago, so it’s relatively fresh. It started when I bought a new phone. The phone camera was spectacular and I wanted to capture everything through that lens. There is so much to learn and I am enjoying myself. Photography has enriched me with having a broader perspective and made me a keen observer. Besides photography, I am educating myself on the basics of graphic design and editing. It’s amazing how a hobby can lean one to so many more interests.
- What does slow living mean to you?
It’s a phrase we hear a lot, often out of context and with an empty echo. It’s not always easy to live slow, and to pretend otherwise is disingenuous. We have jobs, families, houses and countless other things to take care of. The ever-switched-on nature of the internet age means that there are always distractions, always people to compare ourselves to. It’s easy to get lost in all this white noise. For me, slow living is taking time to be aware of those moments that gives me a sense of wellbeing, times when I feel truly connected to others, times when I am not watching the clock. The special objects I create are intended to help further this endeavor.
- Where do you pull from when you create, or what motivates you?
Art, to me, is an expression of truth, whether that truth is concrete, substantial and observable or universal and all-pervading, or an intricate interweaving of both. But the highest cause to produce art, is arguably l’art pour l’art, art for art’s sake. The thing needs to be done because the universe demands that something be created to fill the voids of existence with meaning and life.
- How did you get into your field?
As a kid, I was always artistic so have always had a creative mind. I didn’t become serious with art until I found ceramics and fell in love. It was after travelling around Greek islands and Amalfi Coast that I fell more in love with ceramics and decided to take a class. After a 4 years course I decided to make my own studio and my abilities and fascination with ceramics grew from there.
- What did you wish you knew 15 years ago?
I wish I knew that you learn your greatest strengths when you’re faced with life’s challenges.
- Any lesson you wish you would’ve known in the business, or an important business lesson you’ve learned.
In entrepreneurship, it’s important to set your own trends instead of following the pack. You want people to be following your vision and inspire you to be like you. If you believe in something, you’ll encourage others along your journey too.
- What was the best piece of business advice you were given when you were starting out?
Success comes from tenacity and hard work.
- Any advice you have for creatives or entrepreneurs?
Be patient, everything comes to you at the right moment.
- What inspires you?
Since I started working in ceramics, everything inspires me: the color οf a flower, the shape of a building. I see the world differently now and things I just didn’t notice before are suddenly an inspiration to me.
(Thank you Evi for the inspiration)
