Sophie Ambelas

Ceramicist | London, United Kingdom

Recommended by

Michelangelo Foundation

An unscripted process

Sophie makes hand built ceramic sculptures and tableware
She merges traditional pottery forms with personal, diasporic narratives
In her making process, she embraces unpredictability and 'letting the materials be'

Sophie Ambelas is a London-based ceramicist whose approach to ceramics is rooted in experimentation, play and mixed media. She uses glass to create mirrored effects in ceramic works, glazes in myriad colours and a variety of other materials to create patterns. Self-taught and instinct-led, Sophie's work explores the expressive possibilities of clay, and embraces unpredictability and imperfection. Drawing on her Greek-Cypriot background, she reinterprets classical forms like amphorae to reflect on generational identity and cultural memory. "In my Amphora Era collection I explore the idea that different generations are associated with different colours," explains Sophie.

Interview

What training have you had in ceramics?: I studied ceramics in college, and came back to it in 2021. I needed something to do with my hands. I attended a 12-week course, and since then have mostly taught myself by reading, handling, experimenting, and a few short courses.
What is your approach to materials?: My work is about movement, so I enjoy the component of chance as well as the rule-breaking in the craft. I pour my materials and let them move, or I melt glass into the work. I like when frost-like effects or cracks emerge. It is an unpredictable art, and I let it be as much as possible.
What place does Ancient Greek pottery have in your work?: Amphorae are potent symbols of Antiquity, which I use to explore generational tension: how families evolve, clash and grow from past to present. The spray-painted colours hint at lineage, memory, identity and the way colours become associated to a generation, like ‘Millenial Pink’! The coiled clay represents the imperfect, flowing nature of generations.
What materials are you exploring in your current work?: I am using natural sea sponge sourced on my great-great grandfather’s Greek island. I soak it in coloured slip and, once fired, the sponge burns away, leaving its memory behind. It is a delicate pattern with personal connection, which fuses fully to the clay body.

Sophie Ambelas is a rising star: she began her career in 2021 and she started teaching in 2024