Maria Economides

Primal rhythms and influences from everywhere

• Maria opened her workshop in 2022
• Her ceramic sculptures act as vessels for emotions and memories
• She aims to celebrate the interconnectedness of life and creation in her pieces

Maria Economides was introduced to the world of craftsmanship from a very young age because of her family's lumber trading business. She started her ceramics journey with a class using low-fire clay in Athens. She spent a lot of time practising in a local studio, trying out various techniques. A self-taught artist, Maria feels fortunate to have crossed paths with Marilena Michopoulou, an important ceramic artist based in Athens, whose mentorship profoundly influenced her understanding of the significance of form in ceramics. Maria uses hand-building techniques such as pinching and coiling, and works with slabs which allow her to shape clay into diverse forms without relying on a wheel. "I love how versatile hand-building techniques are. I can experiment with textures, decorations, and finishes to my heart's content," explains Maria. “Seeing a finished piece that started as just a lump of clay is incredibly satisfying,” she says.

Interview

©Sidoros Maskalaris

©Sidoros Maskalaris

When did you first think you would follow this career path?

My aptitude for manual work has been a consistent trait throughout my life, initially cultivated within my family's woodworking business. Later, during a relocation to China, I found myself drawn to the tactile art of knitting. Though I have explored various crafts in the past, it was my inaugural encounter with clay that sparked an undeniable sense of purpose within me.

In what way is your craft connected to where you live?

Immersing myself in Greek culture, living in the very heart of Athens, has profoundly shaped my work. The museums, archaeological sites, and the living traditions here provide a deep well of cultural influence for my ceramics. It is as if the essence of Greece flows through every piece I create.

Where do you draw inspiration?

I am inspired by the beauty and resilience of the female form, finding echoes of my own experiences as a woman and mother in the pieces I create. My inspiration stems from the primal nature of clay itself. There is a raw, elemental quality to clay that speaks to me on a deeply intuitive level.

What do you love most about being a ceramic artist?

Working with clay is like entering a whole other world of creativity and expression. When I am shaping clay with my hands, I feel like I am bringing my ideas to life in the most direct and tactile way possible. There is a certain thrill in the unpredictability of the process too; each piece takes on its own personality as I work with it.

Maria Economides is a rising star: she began her career in 2020 and she started teaching in 2023

Works

©Isidoros Maskalaris

©Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

©Isidoros Maskalaris

©Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

©Sidoros Maskalaris

Where

Experiences

Coloured clay and mixed clay techniques workshop in Athens

4 Hours

120 EUR per person

Introduction to ceramic hand-building techniques workshop in Athens

2 Hours

60 EUR per person