Nikos Stavrakis

XYLART

Woodworker

©Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

Curving the uses of wood

Nikos and his brother took over the family business in 2015
He combines woodwork, leather craft and digital technologies
He built his own router copy carver

Nikos Stavrakis originally studied information science and worked in this industry for a few years before returning to Athens where he joined his family’s workshop in 2008. He has learned the woodworking craft by experience, working next to his father since he was a child and experimenting on his own. In his work, Nikos challenges expectations of wood by using it in non-traditional contexts such as in wearable accessories, cases, and bendable surfaces. He masterfully combines different fields of knowledge such as wood and leather craft with 3D modelling and 3D printing. Working in an ethical and ecologically conscious way is a dimension Nikos takes seriously.

Interview

©Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

©Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

Why did you chooose this craft?: Familiarity with wood since an early age made it natural for me to choose woodwork rather than any other craft. Wanting to go further with cabinetmaking made me investigate design and craftsmanship of wooden accessories.
Do you master any specific techniques?: I developed a method to bend wood veneer beyond its normal flexibility, without it breaking. The material is lightweight yet sturdy. I use that veneer in my curvy bags, meaning that these properties are tried and tested.
What do you love most about your craft?: Experimentation and the learning that comes with it – learning of myself, of working processes and of the materials' properties. There is also the combination of mental and physical work and having to bring together different fields of knowledge such as woodwork, leatherwork and digital skills.
What is one thing about your craft that people usually don't know?: I use materials that have the minimum possible ecological footprint: vegetable tanned leather, water-based wood varnish and dyes, sustainably-sourced timber, and recycled packaging paper.

Nikos Stavrakis is a master artisan: he began his career in 2007 and he started teaching in 2007