https://chryssakotoula.com Chryssa Kotoula Fri, 09 Oct 2026 17:16:20 +0000 https://chryssakotoula.com en http://chryssakotoula.com/Building-Materialities Fri, 09 Oct 2026 17:16:20 +0000 Chryssa Kotoula 460416 <img width="1536" height="2048" width_o="1536" height_o="2048" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/fcd15ef13ed598b3be17fcf9772da09e8827a5e1ec9fe2027b9d969c7692fdcb/1754664968400.jpg" data-mid="1448389" border="0" /><img width="2048" height="1536" width_o="2048" height_o="1536" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/617cbf7198bf3f5f06b4112950ecd789b86ab519310e4fcba520cf23ac338631/1754664968383.jpg" data-mid="1448388" border="0" /> Building Materialities This material research investigates the relation of the inner structure of the clay body to that of a building. A clay body is composed of a variety of minerals, akin to those used in constructing bricks and concrete blocks, embodied into a building’s inner structure. To refer back to the materiality of a pre-existing structure, reclaimed building materials are used as an alternative source of ceramic supply. Rethinking our resource use and exploring how we can connect our process with the story behind the material, we build relationships with the sources of our materials. We open up a new connection with their past lives. The array of materials used in production reminds us of how an object is a carrier of meaning or a story, while its previous use remains as a vestigial memory.The material echoes the place. Crushed bricks, concrete, and tiles from demolition sites are utilized as additions to the clay body, for formulating glaze recipes, or as complementary parts to bond the forms in a series of ceramic vessels. Each material carries a story; an echo of its origins. What has been removed from its original context can serve as a powerful starting point for making. This body of work is about place; where things come from, and what we remember and carry forward.The act of crushing and repairing bricks or repainting the concrete floor runs deep, rooted in memories of shared moments with my father and grandfather. Together, we would crush, paint, and repair these humble yet essential elements of our home, infusing them with care and significance. Repair is to find your way home. The annual ritual of brick renewal, just before Easter, symbolized not only a physical restoration but also a sense of spiritual homecoming. This work is an homage to the caretaking of materials. <img width="5010" height="4211" width_o="5010" height_o="4211" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/77d08a7cd9f0570f4a9134c7d377b63ac4321fa30523b9c5825da7d02aaba612/_MG_4684.jpg" data-mid="1448382" border="0" /> <img width="6240" height="4160" width_o="6240" height_o="4160" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/99456d186209f273a2b6057c3456f6bdeb657093c51e9ca4fc67faad6f157ccb/Chryssa-Kotoula_related-landscape-2.jpeg" data-mid="1448385" border="0" data-scale="98"/>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<img width="6240" height="4160" width_o="6240" height_o="4160" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/312414a2fab5e4818e76e605c484ea5b56c5abf575e7b8ed7bef64217d1a53f3/_DSF5271.jpeg" data-mid="1448391" border="0" data-scale="98"/> <img width="5842" height="4027" width_o="5842" height_o="4027" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/bf0c62809c83c0ab84c08626edefa7e255eec29de5b5c5a7dee28337499960cd/.jpg" data-mid="1448387" border="0" /> <img width="6264" height="4180" width_o="6264" height_o="4180" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/460fea9315accbedc560cdc3777a5e8cf7773d0926e6e648e02db7072346917c/_MG_4619.jpg" data-mid="1448379" border="0" data-scale="98"/> &nbsp; &nbsp;<img width="4261" height="4261" width_o="4261" height_o="4261" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/935758cca8da082324aac5a21cec69808c92791793713ac5aca1f65caebc53fc/_MG_4622.jpg" data-mid="1448381" border="0" data-scale="98"/> <img width="5842" height="4027" width_o="5842" height_o="4027" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/bf0c62809c83c0ab84c08626edefa7e255eec29de5b5c5a7dee28337499960cd/.jpg" data-mid="1448387" border="0" /> <img width="4079" height="5490" width_o="4079" height_o="5490" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/ed0177c6ab7573c982693063750d4cc238f58420879a5eae4f77b938f6d6aae2/_MG_4627.jpg" data-mid="1448392" border="0" data-scale="98"/> &nbsp; &nbsp;<img width="4060" height="4060" width_o="4060" height_o="4060" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/fdf84d7e409aacc6dc99d65467348790590f5ae3af5aa5d909f0e0bd34e1f960/_MG_4691.jpg" data-mid="1448383" border="0" data-scale="98"/> <img width="3957" height="2978" width_o="3957" height_o="2978" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8662b2c27bd9648cc087df8a16da64bbae94fe2672ceec6bd9fa0fff0863c09e/Chryssa-Kotoula_lanscape-related.jpg" data-mid="1448384" border="0" /> &nbsp;<img width="1281" height="1080" width_o="1281" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e75aee711a200f4a8edb23c20fc3909f1cee6429d7d084dde7ff9530e786ff8a/1000016705.jpg" data-mid="1448395" border="0" data-scale="93"/> <img width="1230" height="960" width_o="1230" height_o="960" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/36446610910cf27f16fede5f61d3bdf670b9f7cdcbc2ce5ab8d00e7ef52c0a24/1000016706.jpg" data-mid="1448396" border="0" /> <img width="4980" height="4180" width_o="4980" height_o="4180" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/cdb0184859d517c09522c2ef2d8b242aeff39ec83b2b7ce60e04f4010c677d58/-2.jpg" data-mid="1448386" border="0" /> Follow@chryssa_kotoula images &amp; texts - Chryssa Kotoula | Building Materialities This material research investigates the relation of the inner structure of the clay body to that of a building. A clay body is... http://chryssakotoula.com/Geography-of-Intimacy Fri, 09 Oct 2026 17:15:43 +0000 Chryssa Kotoula 460415 <img width="4000" height="6000" width_o="4000" height_o="6000" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/10937feb75b414c7d612b4355ca95cc9667e3c00bd396a3854b58922cc5ae67d/1_A-room-performs-itself_2026-.jpg" data-mid="1448269" border="0" data-scale="78"/> Geography of intimacy Chryssa Kotoula · Despina Pagiota · Luisa Telles · Luzia Cruz May 9 – May 25, 2026 A room performs itselfInfluenced by Beatriz Colomina’s reflections on domesticity and visibility, Chryssa Kotoula approaches the domestic interior not as a stable site of comfort, but as a space shaped by acts of looking and inhabiting. Household forms are broken apart and reassembled like remnants of a dismantled architecture, composing objects that hover between furniture and sculpture, utility and collapse. A curtain made from broken shards is framed by the gallery windows, transforming them into a threshold between exposure and concealment, where looking becomes a spatial act. The floor plan unfolds from the geometry of the windows, extending its logic into the room as an expanded architectural trace. Around these lines, ceramic stools appear like staged spectators, inviting visitors into a choreography of observation, where the domestic is dispersed, observed, and continually reassembled. Photographs : <img width="5593" height="3729" width_o="5593" height_o="3729" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/65b4dfefbf32a9b867cb58dae901a2dd2e7a06753a0245b22fe62178ec1cab2d/3_Geography-of-Intimacy_2026-.jpg" data-mid="1448271" border="0" data-scale="98"/> <img width="6000" height="4000" width_o="6000" height_o="4000" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d15ef14b6ef5a6c6705eb8382be7d8cbb59b33a51569583ab7e38958f1d5aad8/4_Geography-of-Intimacy_2026-.jpg" data-mid="1448272" border="0" data-scale="98"/> <img width="1286" height="1715" width_o="1286" height_o="1715" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/ff20cabbb21432c44ba6055b2dcad3faed34fbbcfd1335cc714f0650ebe57ad6/1000016683.jpg" data-mid="1448274" border="0" data-scale="98"/> <img width="1500" height="1000" width_o="1500" height_o="1000" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0044fb3bebbae24df7da48fce5f0b74e1a9b0d20afb0e70591ac020e5dad0145/2_A-room-performs-itself_2026.jpg" data-mid="1448270" border="0" data-scale="98"/> <img width="1286" height="1714" width_o="1286" height_o="1714" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/56f508decb8c3c8194c6da9de1e083113088f7408910c9e3832b6639478c0274/1000016690.jpg" data-mid="1448276" border="0" data-scale="97"/> <img width="1286" height="1715" width_o="1286" height_o="1715" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f39fe8b7e3df26f692149140e2c071b876a2da2baa4c275c3a986736f3cc98f0/1000016691.jpg" data-mid="1448278" border="0" data-scale="97"/> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/cffa763fee0d88c22d77bbc903aca926445f89019972fa868c0bd224eb77b74e/5.Lateral-Extractions-_2026.jpg" data-mid="1448273" border="0" /> Follow@chryssa_kotoula images &amp; texts - Chryssa Kotoula | Geography of intimacy Chryssa Kotoula · Despina Pagiota · Luisa Telles · Luzia Cruz May 9 – May 25, 2026 A room performs itselfInfluenced by Beatriz... http://chryssakotoula.com/We-Are-Walking-Talking-Minerals Fri, 09 Oct 2026 17:15:25 +0000 Chryssa Kotoula 460414 <img width="3482" height="2321" width_o="3482" height_o="2321" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b3572d7c6776fbbeed077a56112049a07f9d2930b2413cc2417200640363258e/8_-Fondazione-Officine-Saffi_Chryssa-Kotoula_Installation-view.jpg" data-mid="1448286" border="0" /> <img width="2834" height="3543" width_o="2834" height_o="3543" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c3312db204c48e4b49f52ff53905b2cd50b71ae673d23a053daad2dd5e323eeb/CK08_Chryssa-Kotoula_Fondazione-Officine-Saffi-1.jpg" data-mid="1448302" border="0" data-scale="98"/> &nbsp; &nbsp;<img width="2834" height="3543" width_o="2834" height_o="3543" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/9988e07a28d3a10c048d17d96b195fc69ca9547b1dad2a81dd5f3b1cd36ecffb/CK08_Chryssa-Kotoula_Fondazione-Officine-Saffi-3.jpg" data-mid="1448303" border="0" data-scale="98"/> <img width="2834" height="3543" width_o="2834" height_o="3543" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2c5a06cf47b3fbb855d85849a039b3f598cec9644c3b01efa7983af2bda57fdb/CK06_Chryssa-Kotoula_Fondazione-Officine-Saffi-5.jpg" data-mid="1448297" border="0" data-scale="100"/> <img width="2531" height="3543" width_o="2531" height_o="3543" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/9b2ea6f5f26609157b372c3ad0c7d914f7cce4f3c085d6e4a359e251036528c0/4_-Fondazione-Officine-Saffi_Chryssa-Kotoula_Installation-view-1.jpg" data-mid="1448282" border="0" /> <img width="2834" height="3543" width_o="2834" height_o="3543" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/50b79c958721cf4529292d6fbc1c328a219378d27b9c6f041765a2691df8f89c/CK04_Chryssa-Kotoula_Fondazione-Officine-Saffi-6.jpg" data-mid="1448292" border="0" data-scale="97"/> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<img width="1599" height="2000" width_o="1599" height_o="2000" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/377a4840b580f7321219696c9e71e4737f707e4afa64863b9fc588e07bf4bafa/CK04_Chryssa_Kotoula_Fondazione_Officine_Saffi-5.jpg" data-mid="1448293" border="0" data-scale="97"/> <img width="3482" height="2321" width_o="3482" height_o="2321" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b3572d7c6776fbbeed077a56112049a07f9d2930b2413cc2417200640363258e/8_-Fondazione-Officine-Saffi_Chryssa-Kotoula_Installation-view.jpg" data-mid="1448286" border="0" /> <img width="3543" height="2362" width_o="3543" height_o="2362" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/62f5f7c6e83306919ecffce5fa219e627e265aa7e4815abf75b06156e32de791/9_-Fondazione-Officine-Saffi_Chryssa-Kotoula_Installation-view.jpg" data-mid="1448287" border="0" /><img width="2872" height="3543" width_o="2872" height_o="3543" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8d7ede0382e3464a4742f638daf04312117c26cd19ca55d47c217924ef1d39ac/CK07_Chryssa-Kotoula_Fondazione-Officine-Saffi-5.jpg" data-mid="1448301" border="0" data-scale="57"/> <img width="2854" height="3543" width_o="2854" height_o="3543" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7cfeee3805aeae9c628f21837426c4f8ce431ab44313543c6bedae96c495c186/CK07_Chryssa-Kotoula_Fondazione-Officine-Saffi-1.jpg" data-mid="1448299" border="0" /> <img width="2530" height="3543" width_o="2530" height_o="3543" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3030c509ec8a4fe346d9e8177d9b52b9844f012a1d24d47714fa8904287c4a4d/7_-Fondazione-Officine-Saffi_Chryssa-Kotoula_Installation-view.jpg" data-mid="1448285" border="0" data-scale="98"/> &nbsp; &nbsp;<img width="2531" height="3543" width_o="2531" height_o="3543" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d9ac53a65014094ff755d4d6a187ad8f01f2c843304bafadbdd8940b4c3eeff5/CK02_Chryssa-Kotoula_Fondazione-Officine-Saffi-1.jpg" data-mid="1448288" border="0" data-scale="98"/> <img width="2834" height="3543" width_o="2834" height_o="3543" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/51fd4c1d986ead3f2c56f149bd7a85593e19d57ab9283ac03575202783ff6dbc/CK05_Chryssa-Kotoula_Fondazione-Officine-Saffi-5.jpg" data-mid="1448295" border="0" /> <img width="2531" height="3543" width_o="2531" height_o="3543" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/79a1b7029dfe29a08282aa4728c10a438349e39cb6d704aff8da030801b4ec1b/CK03_Chryssa-Kotoula_Fondazione-Officine-Saffi-1.jpg" data-mid="1448289" border="0" /> We are walking, talking minerals Fondazione Officine Saffi July 9 – August 1, 2025 We are walking, talking minerals, is the first solo exhibition in Italy by Greek artist Chryssa Kotoula (1995, Larissa). The exhibition is the result of a period of research and experimentation carried out during the artist's residency at the foundation. The series of works on view stems from the observation and reintepretation of ceramic waste materials left over from the foundation’s workshops—dried clays, crystallized glazes, unused pigments—which Kotoula has gathered and transformed into artworks. By bringing together technical skill and a deep sensitivity to material, her process explores new uses and possibilities for the remnants of everyday studio practice.Kotoula’s practice blurs the boundaries between art, functional design, and craftsmanship, tapping into the unique expressive potential of ceramics. Her work can be read as a form of reverse archaeology: while evoking the appearance of ancient remnants, it instead imagines a possible future for what is typically considered waste. Central to her process is a reinterpretation of the terrazzo technique—first described by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century CE and traditionally used to create continuous, durable surfaces from a mix of materials. Kotoula reconfigures this logic within the ceramic language, incorporating fragments of glaze and clay directly into the body of the work rather than applying them on the surface. Each piece is thus shaped by a specific relationship between context, available materials, and artistic intent, forming open and stratified narratives. From these, hybrid and ambiguous forms emerge, challenging both the domestic and exhibition spaces and positioning themselves in a tension between object and organism, prototype and artifact. This tension is not only formal but also ethical and procedural: each piece is designed to be fired only once, and at a lower temperature, with particular attention to structural resistance. This approach reflects a view of ceramics as a circular practice—one that not only reduces environmental impact, but is grounded in the conscious use of what already exists.The exhibition’s title is inspired by a passage from Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of Things by Jane Bennett, in which the author rejects a traditional view of inanimate matter as inert. Instead, she proposes that all materials—including minerals—possess vitality and dynamism. Humans, in this perspective, are not separate from or superior to nature, but rather assemblages of elements and forces within a interconnected system. A similar principle guides Kotoula’s artistic process: her works emerge as autonomous, composite presences shaped by the lived experience of the materials themselves. Often supported by leg-like structures, they occupy the gallery’s floor and walls with mysterious, branching stratifications that reveal the chemical and chromatic stories embedded in the ceramic remnants from which they are formed. Photographs: Courtesy of Fondazione Officine Saffi, taken by Alessandra Vinci. Follow@chryssa_kotoula images &amp; texts - Chryssa Kotoula | &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; We are walking, talking minerals Fondazione Officine Saffi July 9 – August 1, 2025 ... http://chryssakotoula.com/Matters-of-Concern Fri, 09 Oct 2026 15:38:13 +0000 Chryssa Kotoula 460413 <img width="1800" height="1200" width_o="1800" height_o="1200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8faea04c4f55234176c5cfc6543f883d7a7c65d864fa10bf71f2cd3f9f4f27f2/0660_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447866" border="0" /> <img width="1800" height="1200" width_o="1800" height_o="1200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/cceaaef28c76c2b6a418aac1995a2a1e4bd0e5df7fc31def6ed2f48cb002d1bd/0040_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447865" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/085e2ad562c6af8f2a67507d496faf4752476e95005ffbe019edab35cbd82e00/0580_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447867" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/066e3a4fdd778f804757923dc0d3cf78d4d67d92b4fdd7e4d7db06ff4b6c3a8a/0130_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447869" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/fb73da1747e90810a0a63b374e1ea5581337ebfeefbbc9f241990e83aa8e5fad/0023_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447870" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/86101e60472de11e438a8fb699f593f5d5f15ac50df7a883bd036c8e6415d81e/0344_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447872" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e9dcd96b9a6f5f7888f9683940cd4dbfd2f94c01367a8db7ea14aa4ef027a3db/0278_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447871" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/83d82cf57d42065e8954e8a14f0a8c1456e8ddfa1b4ed6ba2649e77d43ce22c8/0095_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447873" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b0c97a7f12e15fb5e560c13d8d3a403ab5f30ce36ff7449843ba24663d72549d/0461_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447874" border="0" /> <img width="1800" height="1200" width_o="1800" height_o="1200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d6aa93775e303b30742b6eb6be02cb80c7849887448f616297f8ebcb499aa3ed/0611_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447876" border="0" /> <img width="1800" height="1200" width_o="1800" height_o="1200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f89ee114ffd68fa4b7174f4c24f962a3ad173f2e9652882b657f8e417748c823/0660_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447875" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/ff7d6b58e50d2e698aca10b59796a26b9aa488ce033662270789b721ef967474/0688_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447878" border="0" /><img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/5dc6c66511e54eb3ae1a56b69391ea1f0ffc4354e85a1bc4bab29d323d445dc2/0644_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447880" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f4ca4f30a155195d48587de53f891e59eb4a2423c1cc36832f906fcfaef6681e/0608_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447877" border="0" /><img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/837968cae352ce7a0fe8a9eb8e43102067b1b891149dd85d39b6b6d1554b137d/0741_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447879" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0286c0b55fca352b75abdb71cf4d75b1a8e15734ee29b6351712c27cf1630c3f/0594_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447881" border="0" /><img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/db17a2956e5264ae90c12f8b77e9db8db70682dc6df8c4b01c029886cb333268/0917_Onassis_AiR_Spring_2026--Margarita-Yoko-Nikitaki-for-Onassis-Stegi_LOW.jpg" data-mid="1447882" border="0" /> Matters of Concern Matters of Concern emerges from the urban waste streams of Athens and unfolds as a sculptural and archival installation with a performative workshop activation. The project traces the full chain of labor behind ceramic production, foregrounding acts that often remain invisible: collecting, sorting, grinding, measuring, mixing, testing, and firing. Laboratory equipment and cooking utensils coexist in the space, emphasizing the shared infrastructures of ceramic and culinary transformation. Food waste, ash, shells, glass, soil, and construction debris are reprocessed into clay bodies and glazes. Materials are approached as active agents that resist, react, fuse, and reform. Ceramic surface formulation becomes a way of reading the city through matter itself. Glaze and food share origin stories, forming a closed-loop system in which recipes mediate between ecological residue and public encounter. Glaze recipes developed from food waste are presented as percentage-based systems, each corresponding to a ceramic tile. At 1260°C, the kiln reorganizes minerals into a stable surface; at 37°C, the body reorganizes edible matter through metabolism. During a workshop that took place on the first day of Onassis Air Spring Open Days 2026, participants translate glaze ratios into edible surface formulations, maintaining structural proportion across these two systems. What is thermally activated in one becomes metabolically processed in the other. In a city shaped by intensified food production and consumption, the work reflects on circular materials, hidden labor, and the afterlives of waste. The installation remains accessible throughout the event, while the workshop serves as its temporary activation—proposing not completion, but the relocation of transformation within an ongoing urban metabolism. Credits: A big thank you to Ekiben Kitchen and chef Nikos&nbsp; , Argoura Kitchen and Chef Nikos, Mellem. Athens team and Wine is Fine. Athens team for collecting, sorting, storing, contemplating and providing me with the leftovers from their own waste streams. A big thank you to Daphne Leon , a partner in crime for donating equipment, her own waste materials along with patience and space to experiment and grow. This project took place during&nbsp; the Onassis AiR Extended Research Residencies program for 2025/26. Photographs : Margarita Nikitaki Follow@chryssa_kotoula images &amp; texts - Chryssa Kotoula | Matters of Concern Matters of Concern emerges from the urban waste streams of Athens and unfolds as a... http://chryssakotoula.com/And-Here-I-Bloom-For-A-Short-Hour-Unsee Fri, 09 Oct 2026 15:03:31 +0000 Chryssa Kotoula 460412 <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d925964a741cde194c0845ecadb09f738427ff0c5f849a64ce432ba9c7800815/8.jpg" data-mid="1447838" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/96124bbce7c14160cbf6a60002010400c8e62c2f2f2b5dd91d9aac06c1fa3125/12.jpg" data-mid="1447837" border="0" /> <img width="581" height="872" width_o="581" height_o="872" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8aaea9390f691d4d5e3ec05d2d761f9c701f425b3a8a31113e23839a5ef6f6a4/12b.jpg" data-mid="1447842" border="0" /><img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c6ebd7c17e0379f0211fa3ed29583fe1412324b648aed8b7029d678dcf15b027/TPG_Chryssa-Kotoula-Katerina-Moschou--2026.-Photography-Andrew-Anetopoulos.-Courtesy-The-Paddocks_28.jpg" data-mid="1447843" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6f394dbdea056316856c25253ed901135c3e03c0766b24070d89d8bc28e4534e/16.jpg" data-mid="1447839" border="0" /><img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0aeda123f9f23dcc9df3c09e64f7130381ba45503e0946bf2013d809f4d419cc/17.jpg" data-mid="1447844" border="0" /> <img width="1800" height="1200" width_o="1800" height_o="1200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f7c955942f3fe083baf909d6a7607507afb89a639b6961632f36b7f85f113ed9/TPG_Chryssa-Kotoula-Katerina-Moschou--2026.-Photography-Andrew-Anetopoulos.-Courtesy-The-Paddocks_46.jpg" data-mid="1447846" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c294ebeb32c26d850c4086a26e437b3e7194aeeeca190d419be4d12872dc7518/7.jpg" data-mid="1447847" border="0" /><img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/818f929496bb38b8e1014a858a944e2b4e3e901fc3d88ece0bfbec38bbf9e50c/1.jpg" data-mid="1447850" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/749899bb0cf91a5a7637f59b071ef8e842336ed2666dfb05186bf065d8d02a24/5.jpg" data-mid="1447848" border="0" /><img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7b9ee1945f8c8a6ad8290a0ce2ef026d1c9216908c0e030c696e4cbd6efa9477/13.jpg" data-mid="1447852" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="800" width_o="1200" height_o="800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/926562d86641d31e81d8799e3b1620d8639eb1af07d8ec8a4d07334abe36429d/TPG_Chryssa-Kotoula-Katerina-Moschou--2026.-Photography-Andrew-Anetopoulos.-Courtesy-The-Paddocks_55.jpg" data-mid="1447853" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6feac70e7acc47581240e1e7031cac7ad89672e74a8c877a0acb6ad49ad26ea7/TPG_Chryssa-Kotoula-Katerina-Moschou--2026.-Photography-Andrew-Anetopoulos.-Courtesy-The-Paddocks_14.jpg" data-mid="1447855" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/122940989b1ad625f89a38b0d166fffecb0d0b46a164c88c6a901e353b93cfc7/TPG_Chryssa-Kotoula-Katerina-Moschou--2026.-Photography-Andrew-Anetopoulos.-Courtesy-The-Paddocks_42.jpg" data-mid="1447856" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/a3be7b916e3032307266c44e199496ef2f9dd517111ba25ed5577f7c71a95425/9.jpg" data-mid="1447857" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/000cdd062c2e676c470a4348d337edf92324cbd578adc08c80ef424f67f7a13f/TPG_Chryssa-Kotoula-Katerina-Moschou--2026.-Photography-Andrew-Anetopoulos.-Courtesy-The-Paddocks_32.jpg" data-mid="1447858" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8659d63f5895c84cf998d3ead8b45de606596d984f1057eb01c2186c31261def/TPG_Chryssa-Kotoula-Katerina-Moschou--2026.-Photography-Andrew-Anetopoulos.-Courtesy-The-Paddocks_36.jpg" data-mid="1447859" border="0" /><img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0eff1af2c59dd9b2c42c8235793836beb32c73ac702e3dad502363e17f53a3db/TPG_Chryssa-Kotoula-Katerina-Moschou--2026.-Photography-Andrew-Anetopoulos.-Courtesy-The-Paddocks_11.jpg" data-mid="1447861" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b2e38e7fd9baddeb586a7ecd1241ad119c7d58743ea76197bb1156681e1c61e1/4.jpg" data-mid="1447860" border="0" /><img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/fcd9ff30d7e08a524900d6afd6c220bea2299960be79b1ee96c9a8cfc88ce680/TPG_Chryssa-Kotoula-Katerina-Moschou--2026.-Photography-Andrew-Anetopoulos.-Courtesy-The-Paddocks_37.jpg" data-mid="1447862" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/150e83569727c0f862b0c349d809fc8405b0fb8d7af187d640cd20ea6b89bf85/3.jpg" data-mid="1447863" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2a13546b04b3c7fc5cab7e5c4029eb9a22e137c9ab98b0f64eb761c1365b3aee/8.jpg" data-mid="1447864" border="0" /> And Here I Bloom, For a Short Hour UnseenChryssa Kotoula &amp; Katerina Moschou 22 May – 4 July 2026“I have a dream sometimes, not often. I dream that I am in a house, and discover a door I didn’t knowwas there. It opens into an unexpected garden, and for a weightless moment I find myself inhabiting newterritory, flush with potential.”– Olivia Laing, The Garden Against Time, 2024In nature, when two trees come close to one another, they can bind their roots and organically merge. Fromthe ancient orchards of Asia to contemporary gardens, through human intervention and skilled care, grafting hasevolved into a widespread gardening and agricultural practice–one plant is joined to another allowing them to heal andgrow as one. One part offers the trunk and roots, the other brings the capacity to transform. Bound together in closecontact, they co-create a common entity capable of producing stems, flowers, and fruit. The exhibition And Here IBloom, For a Short Hour explores grafting as a form of union through which new identities emerge. Usedmetaphorically, it serves as a point of departure for a creative dialogue between Kotoula and Moschou.By merging their individual artistic practices—ceramics, engraving, drawing, photography, and sculpture—the artists employ the stages of grafting as a methodology: the preparation of the parts, the binding, the healing, theunion. Initially, plants get “wounded” at specific points or stripped of their surface, undergoing an intense biologicalstress that activates complex survival mechanisms. By binding the two parts tightly together, usually with a specialgrafting tape, they are held together in place until they heal. A pause; a state of“numbness” where cells of the differentplants gradually intertwine until they entirely fill the gap between them.Observing nature, time seems to expand. For grafting to succeed, time is required, an almost invisible timewithin which the union is gradually formed. In a similar manner, both in ceramics and engraving, pauses are essential forthe processes of materials and surfaces to realise. This “in-between” condition, the point in time at which something isin the process of being formed, runs throughout the exhibition.The unseen life of plants–the continuous processes that secretly take place while remaining fully exposed totheir environment–offers the title to the exhibition. And Here I Bloom, For a Short Hour Unseen, an excerpt from apoem by the American naturalist writer, Henry David Thoreau, in which he reflects on the complexity and vulnerabilityof human existence. The verse speaks to decay as an inevitable condition, but also to the enduring search for meaningand the ability to transform. As in grafting, even after a part of a plant has been separated from its roots, so in thehuman condition, the possibility of flowering in new conditions remains.The life cycle of plants, as well as grafting, could not occur without one essential element: sunlight. Wall-mounted sconces made of clay and copper, porcelain and metal, evoke light as the force that activates plants andmakes all their functions possible. Similarly, in the exhibition they operate as carriers of vitality, transforming the spacethroughout the different hours of the day.Grafting appears not only as a process, but also as a source of inspiration for the forms and materials of theworks, where Kotoula’s ceramics connect with Moschou’s engraving, sculpture, and drawings. Just as a plant undergoes“stress” during its preparation for grafting, clay similarly loses moisture, contracts, expands until it stabilises as aceramic object. While plants heal, an amorphous tissue is shaped, namely the callus, which never becomes entirelyidentical to a natural trunk but remains as a trace of transition. It is within this condition of connection anddisconnection that the artists focus, approaching this transitional form in a schematic way.Copper, limestone, and ash are materials used for protection and reinforcement in plants, trees, and soil. Inthe exhibition, copper appears either as a key component of ceramic glazes, often creating green hues, or as wirerepeatedly wrapped around the works, recalling grafting tape that binds parts together. Handcrafted limestone and ashfrom various trees and plants also appear in the works in the form of glazes, shaping surfaces that evoke both the colourspectrum of grafting stages–from deep greens to browns–and the textures of trunks, branches, and foliage. The samematerials thus migrate from soil and plants into the works of the exhibition, alluding to processes of protection andregeneration.The exhibition And Here I Bloom, For a Short Hour Unseen unfolds as a poetic gesture of union, in which artisticpractices and materials do not merely coexist but are bound together, healed, and transformed into a new condition.By metaphorically approaching grafting as a union, Kotoula and Moschou underline these in-between moments, inwhich it is neither fully separated nor fully joined. In doing so, an unstable field between connection and disconnectionemerges, where union is not yet a completed outcome, but an evolving state on the verge of flowering; “a weightlessmoment”.Text &amp; Curation by Lida KoutromanouI Am a Parcel of Vain Strivings Tiedby Henry David ThoreauI am a parcel of vain strivings tiedBy a chance bond together,Dangling this way and that, their linksWere made so loose and wide,Methinks,For milder weather.A bunch of violets without their roots,And sorrel intermixed,Encircled by a wisp of strawOnce coiled about their shoots,The lawBy which I'm fixed.A nosegay which Time clutched from outThose fair Elysian fields,With weeds and broken stems, in haste,Doth make the rabble routThat wasteThe day he yields.And here I bloom for a short hour unseen,Drinking my juices up,With no root in the landTo keep my branches green,But standIn a bare cup.Some tender buds were left upon my stemIn mimicry of life,But ah! the children will not know,Till time has withered them,The woeWith which they're rife.But now I see I was not plucked for naught,And after in life's vaseOf glass set while I might survive,But by a kind hand broughtAliveTo a strange place.That stock thus thinned will soon redeem its hours,And by another year,Such as God knows, with freer air,More fruits and fairer flowersWill bear,While I droop here.Copyright Credit: Henry David Thoreau, "I Am a Parcel of Vain Strivings Tied" from Collected Poems of Henry David Thoreau, ed. Carl Bode (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1964): Public domain.Source: Collected Poems of Henry David Thoreau, ed. Carl Bode (The Johns Hopkins Press, 1964). Poetry Foundation.Photographs : Andrew Annetopoulos Follow@chryssa_kotoula images &amp; texts - Chryssa Kotoula | And Here I Bloom, For a Short Hour UnseenChryssa Kotoula &amp; Katerina Moschou 22 May – 4 July 2026“I have a dream... http://chryssakotoula.com/Exhibitions Tue, 15 Sep 2026 19:37:51 +0000 Chryssa Kotoula 460318 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Year 2026 2026 2026 2025 2025 2024 2024 2024 2024 2024 2024 2024 2022 2022 Title And here I bloom, for a short hour unseen What Re-mains Geography of Intimacy We are walking, talking minerals Solo exhibition ATHENA Clay Fair, material research presentation This Future is Currently UnavailableVienna Design Week - Fokus, Trash, European Glass Ceramic Context 2024 RenewalThe Material Way (un)Known Territories Women Ceramic Artists of Greece In the MoodHoezo: An Artist Publication, 6th Ghent Art Book Fair Institution The Paddocks Gallery Cycladic Biennale Kunstlerhaus Sootborn Fondazione Officine Saffi &nbsp; Design Museum Ghent, 019 Isola Design Festival, Dubai Design Week Vienna Design Week Bornholm Triennials forContemporary European Glass and Ceramics Duplex Studio, MAD Brussels 3 Days of Design Fondazione Officine Saffi Greek Ceramix Contempo-rary, Mon Coin Studio De Verffabriek” collective space KunsthalGhent &amp; 019 Location Volos, Greece Naxos, Greece Hamburg, Germany Milan, Italy Ghent, Belgium Dubai, UAE Vienna, Austria Bornholm, Denmark Brussels, Belgium Copenhagen, Denmark Milan, Italy Athens, Greece Ghent, Belgium Ghent, Belgium &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Residencies&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;2027&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Salemi Ceramics, Sicily, Italy &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;2026&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Onassis AiR, Extended Research Program by Onassis Foundation, Athens, Greece &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;2025&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Fondazione Officine Saffi, Milano, Italy Awards&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2024 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Officine Saffi Special Prize Award 5, Fondazione Officine Saffi, Milano, Italy &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Press &amp; Publications Follow@chryssa_kotoula images &amp; texts - Chryssa Kotoula | &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;... http://chryssakotoula.com/Entry Tue, 15 Sep 2026 18:29:49 +0000 Chryssa Kotoula 460317 Chryssa Kotoula works exhibitions about&nbsp; contact <img width="2834" height="3543" width_o="2834" height_o="3543" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/fa37caba501f5d0cac14c77a2f9f058c2844f7d48c4247a4006c35c3b2772677/CK04_Chryssa-Kotoula_Fondazione-Officine-Saffi-6.jpg" data-mid="1448371" border="0" /> Chryssa Kotoula works exhibitions about&nbsp; contact http://chryssakotoula.com/Circular-Terrazzo Wed, 01 Nov 2023 23:31:49 +0000 Chryssa Kotoula 449591 <img width="6180" height="4244" width_o="6180" height_o="4244" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/66a95bac741b3931ba36ebcebe7a1b0c557adc6514198517fe47728daa1205fa/_MG_0268.jpg" data-mid="1326983" border="0" /> Circular Terrazzo In an era defined by heightened environmental awareness and the need for circular practices, the world of ceramic art faces significant challenges concerning material waste and energy consumption. Among these, glaze presents particular difficulties in terms of recycling and environmental impact. Leftover glaze materials can complicate recycling processes and contribute to environmental pollution, while ceramic production often involves energy-intensive, high-temperature kiln firings. Recognizing the importance of considering the entire material life cycle, this project seeks to introduce a sense of circularity into the ceramic studio by rethinking the relationship between clay and glaze. Traditionally, clay and glaze are treated as two distinct materials: clay forms the ceramic body, while glaze is applied as a separate surface coating. This research challenges this distinction by exploring the possibility of combining the two materials into a single, unified ceramic body. By incorporating leftover glaze waste directly into the clay, the project investigates how these materials can work together to formulate a new ceramic material. The aim is to develop a stronger stoneware clay body that can mature at lower temperatures and be produced through a single firing, reducing energy consumption while giving new value to studio waste. The essence of circularity lies in reusing and upcycling existing materials, transforming waste into valuable resources. This research explores ways of reintroducing studio waste into ceramic production by rethinking traditional techniques such as slipcasting, the agate technique, and terrazzo making. In particular, terrazzo, traditionally made by embedding fragments of marble or stone within a binding matrix, offers inspiration through its improvisational approach to combining materials. By adapting this technique, seemingly unusable glaze remnants become an integral part of the clay body, contributing to both its structure and aesthetic qualities. The research also draws inspiration from archaeology, which offers a deeper understanding of material histories and their potential for new applications. From this perspective, glaze waste is reconsidered not as an unwanted residue but as a material with the potential for transformation and reuse. The initial phase of the project focuses on creating a series of handmade tiles using this circular adaptation of terrazzo, investigating the interaction between clay and glaze and the development of a unified stoneware material suitable for lower-temperature, single-firing production. As part of its wider contribution to sustainable material research, the project is connected to material knowledge-sharing initiatives, including the Future Materials Bank at the Jan van Eyck Academie, the Materials Collection at the Rhode Island School of Design, and MaterialDistrict in the Netherlands. These platforms support the exploration and dissemination of innovative materials and circular approaches to design. Ultimately, the project aims to challenge conventional ceramic practices by bringing traditionally separate materials together, transforming studio waste into a valuable resource and opening new possibilities for more sustainable ceramic production. <img width="4263" height="3479" width_o="4263" height_o="3479" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e79db7707225bc2fae4d2d40541513f7598867211e16de558a19cd5bbd23568a/_MG_1301.jpg" data-mid="1326999" border="0" data-scale="80"/> <img width="5084" height="3389" width_o="5084" height_o="3389" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3dc1702f7750e7ad62e75044cfc2c5b8a1002f3b7dcd32514313c8cbb055ffa6/_MG_12900.jpg" data-mid="1326990" border="0" data-scale="80"/> <img width="5664" height="3876" width_o="5664" height_o="3876" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d7f0a5d77c6cba43c8572243dd1f250b23dcc89c0431ff6584ffabbf9ab51978/_MG_1271.jpg" data-mid="1326991" border="0" data-scale="80"/> <img width="4781" height="3825" width_o="4781" height_o="3825" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6a39b53924455a2168b4535fe6cd6f19b5c8a6956206fe35e1d4e65b8a2aefe5/_MG_0307.jpg" data-mid="1326987" border="0" data-scale="80"/> <img width="6026" height="4017" width_o="6026" height_o="4017" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f25fe9d00c50dd51cf0113a81acf2b92e5ca30dd8e1100bd68186bde64e3b97a/_MG_0319.jpg" data-mid="1327000" border="0" data-scale="80"/> &nbsp; &nbsp;<img width="5160" height="3648" width_o="5160" height_o="3648" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/5eb031fad3dccf71cf307ac74e0b692ef0700a55d17f9d63c0283ef262c8c3cb/_MG_1394.jpg" data-mid="1326996" border="0" data-scale="76"/> <img width="5042" height="4034" width_o="5042" height_o="4034" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7cf0ab9a50e3f4b7108e7a81043fe0b5d4802005bea8c0126b4e24a03160f66c/_MG_0331.jpg" data-mid="1326992" border="0" data-scale="80"/> <img width="2582" height="2853" width_o="2582" height_o="2853" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f8a249672bba5e0c7ea550c8cf266e7d1f697097c1752d2dbfd2690f6200092b/unnamed.jpg" data-mid="1326984" border="0" data-scale="78"/> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <img width="6014" height="4341" width_o="6014" height_o="4341" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/52f3a8c8687a8148f436057ee2b652328244fbc3e3855560a1004892603cb03a/_MG_0325.jpg" data-mid="1327001" border="0" data-scale="82"/><img width="5424" height="3648" width_o="5424" height_o="3648" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b85751d7b4d8a14c82fd695f9a4cea962d2b391bbe0a7ebda9e138e18b54400b/_MG_1196.jpg" data-mid="1326989" border="0" data-scale="82"/> <img width="3509" height="4754" width_o="3509" height_o="4754" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/5606a090dae435f940a87486610f1515fe5be70e30f109912a9a6665b4ff22ff/_MG_1269.jpg" data-mid="1447883" border="0" data-scale="82"/> Follow@chryssa_kotoula images &amp; texts - Chryssa Kotoula | Circular Terrazzo In an era defined by heightened environmental awareness and the need for circular practices, the world of ceramic art faces significant ... http://chryssakotoula.com/An-Archaeology-of-the-Studio Wed, 18 Oct 2023 22:04:54 +0000 Chryssa Kotoula 449202 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <img width="3543" height="2738" width_o="3543" height_o="2738" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/445cd0d82b6dd229821246deaf6d98d880c2fe869bfb034330fdabbdd583675a/21_Officine-Saffi-Award-5_Kotoula-Chryssa.jpg" data-mid="1448267" border="0" /> Vessels &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; An Archaeology of the studio This body of work consists of individual pieces created by replicating the traditional technique of terrazzo making. Terrazzo making has always been an improvisational, action-centric, embodied, and situated activity. The artist utilizes a new material of her own invention which she developed by reusing the ceramic’s studio waste to revisit and adapt the craft of terrazzo making. Through further exploration of the aesthetics and practicalities of glaze, a series of unique vessels emerges, in which the viewer can discern a relative chronology based on the sequential layers of reclaimed matter. Each layer represents a distinct moment in time, as if mirroring the strata of geological formations. When fired in the kiln the two materials create a surface that reminds of geological formations. Eventually each piece is named after a different type of rock formation. Employing tactics of reverse archaeology, the artist provides insights into the historical context of the materials, while envisioning the potential for an alternative future. Each piece is meticulously crafted projecting forms of anonymous art and architectural forms, reminiscent of archaeological artifacts. They embody a sense of continuity and transformation, as they are born from an atelier that reverberates months of creation within a single unit. The final objects serve as tangible artifacts of a circular perspective. As we begin to view waste as a resource, new chains of value are forged, turning artifacts into not just isolated elements but cables of remembrances and history.&nbsp; <img width="5416" height="3988" width_o="5416" height_o="3988" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0ead4915e4bf382191419233dedfae39978999077d78d5b049d9d43c5c2c2dc0/_MG_0138.jpg" data-mid="1323936" border="0" data-scale="80"/> <img width="2883" height="3604" width_o="2883" height_o="3604" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/47aa1a3e2946b82dabadf56b95ebb993f0893486afb8bbf31143b243c9c10c55/_MG_8208.jpg" data-mid="1323945" border="0" data-scale="80"/> <img width="4110" height="4110" width_o="4110" height_o="4110" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/50c671213ba5dc8b2d53c423468575134d3754fb58e3991f9de16891a38116f6/_MG_0110.jpg" data-mid="1323937" border="0" data-scale="80"/><img width="1286" height="1286" width_o="1286" height_o="1286" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7153ab8b59a6d14cefa325ec1e872a9d2a88013724d07fc03e9520fda543488e/1000016681.jpg" data-mid="1448268" border="0" data-scale="80"/><img width="4160" height="4160" width_o="4160" height_o="4160" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1f8a1214638f7e35ebc3db6029c280f3b77c21ba4e30f2e1c57b3337c566ba0d/_MG_0108.jpg" data-mid="1323940" border="0" data-scale="80"/>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<img width="3367" height="4652" width_o="3367" height_o="4652" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/fa25675a269db73d91b3c834daa910c9c9a6ac6b6f709b195ed5d46f230c58d3/_MG_8185.jpg" data-mid="1323943" border="0" data-scale="41"/> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <img width="5472" height="3468" width_o="5472" height_o="3468" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/9e5a1f7934ec26d04d3bf4c394eaca8cea1bf0974d87d60deef86ade1b95beed/_MG_1325.jpg" data-mid="1323946" border="0" data-scale="67"/>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<img width="4392" height="3705" width_o="4392" height_o="3705" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/01e19d8ecb343b079458dbd7767e56f0cfab4ff08c812aa09a65f9c8abc559b8/_MG_83899.jpg" data-mid="1323948" border="0" data-scale="77"/> <img width="3648" height="3648" width_o="3648" height_o="3648" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/ec1053d056446ce104d53b4d4d1c01e77d784a02d8528c21f29869f823ce31fd/_MG_8266.jpg" data-mid="1323939" border="0" data-scale="76"/> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<img width="5013" height="4069" width_o="5013" height_o="4069" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c6d9a10e832394b3f600733c250bbab45816bddc78dc35bdad4900090ecb423e/_MG_0132.jpg" data-mid="1323935" border="0" data-scale="87"/>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<img width="4724" height="3582" width_o="4724" height_o="3582" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2742205ce2b5ed65dea0b9b6364e6e3127d0dc2d7813e9251d957823962137e5/_MG_8161.jpg" data-mid="1323942" border="0" data-scale="87"/> <img width="4761" height="3238" width_o="4761" height_o="3238" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/82302d9169b2adeb8a9674fe549152f7bb8ce47b0c8808d80191a55d91151658/_MG_8245.jpg" data-mid="1324050" border="0" data-scale="100"/> Follow@chryssa_kotoula images &amp; texts - Chryssa Kotoula | &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Vessels &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; An Archaeology of the studio This body of work... http://chryssakotoula.com/On-the-lookout-for-signs Mon, 30 May 2022 18:03:11 +0000 Chryssa Kotoula 425161 <img width="1796" height="1312" width_o="1796" height_o="1312" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6384bc447290be56f920ea38596c98ef0908961bcfdc19f949b10e81cc05306e/fixed_Luca-postcard_Chryssa-Kotoula.jpg" data-mid="1201239" border="0" data-scale="90"/> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;On the lookout for signs The material is the starting point.Parts of different colors and shapes, stacked next to each other,tell the stories. I start to build on something. Piece by piece,block by block,one on top of the other,slowly from the ground up. Like an unstable but growing structure,with the naive conviction that something will hold up in the end.Always on the lookout for signs. “On the Lookout for Signs” unfolds through a series of sculptures aiming to investigate and embrace the ethos of becoming a bricoleur. The artist employs practices of scavenging and discovering, closely connected with bric-a-brac and other DIY practices, for the collection of materials—spolia, sourced from demo lition sites all around the city. The classical definition of spolia relates to material culture in the sense of frag ments defined as parts. When people seek to build something new, they require materials. Unused, abandoned, damaged, or unwanted older structures become quarries, providing raw materials. Spolia encapsulates ideas and traces from the past, and reuse is considered a sustainable practice that rejuvenates old frag ments, enriching our understanding of history. Departing from traditional construction methodologies, this body of work ap proaches unconventional combinations of disparate building materials. In this context, the artist weaves a narrative by incorporating a tinkering logic allowing spolia to act upon her thinking and action. The creative process hinges on tech nical mistakes, with the artist allowing errors to guide novel solutions through an improvisatory and spontaneous activity. These sculptural compositions serve as poetic reflections on themes rooted in vernacular and anonymous art and archi tecture, where the architect is absent. “The white cubical house, the vernacular architecture in the Aegean archipelago, knows no author.” The pieces are not a single body , but consist of independent pieces. Thus changing the order the art ist allows the material itself to take the burden of decision making, reflecting on the un-self conscious work of the untrained builders. <img width="5184" height="3456" width_o="5184" height_o="3456" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/002a9ef1305248c53b2d882cb4157ef24a05c085a80d698c6893aa6f189f3b48/IMG_8323.jpg" data-mid="1195387" border="0" data-scale="85"/> <img width="4192" height="3024" width_o="4192" height_o="3024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/69604b7634ad05864bd91dccce661bed13f44b2c3dcce0c5eb48a3134dea387e/DSC_0669.JPG" data-mid="1195389" border="0" data-scale="85"/> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img width="3070" height="4225" width_o="3070" height_o="4225" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/a0ee45f7a5e8634253ab12d5a02e496c8a48b0b5925d27232d3a1105a9c0518d/DSC_0777.jpg" data-mid="1195388" border="0" data-scale="47"/> <img width="5184" height="3456" width_o="5184" height_o="3456" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/06135fb5a682c93161d75ad5be3a4a8d4441f0c99e3c69436e4270474a0ed87b/IMG_8326.jpg" data-mid="1195392" border="0" data-scale="84"/> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<img width="5076" height="3588" width_o="5076" height_o="3588" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c98d9940126d22718410fc7111c58b3b6777c885027c79fc5ce27efafcc173a5/IMG_6583.jpg" data-mid="1226496" border="0" data-scale="55"/> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<img width="4492" height="3334" width_o="4492" height_o="3334" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0aaf8369f45ce3dd014ab34dc20c50161d1809703eb8e19e40fae1112ce46f47/IMG_8330.jpg" data-mid="1195393" border="0" data-scale="56"/>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<img width="4752" height="3200" width_o="4752" height_o="3200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/88f1f37d101836faa4cec205d364e53b18b5f7ef002a01e177b23e66cace0acc/IMG_8322.jpg" data-mid="1195394" border="0" data-scale="56"/>&nbsp; <img width="5376" height="3648" width_o="5376" height_o="3648" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6f3c076f3a62591320d2059fb5be1c25a62b40ef781382ae87ef9978f5b2d59e/IMG_6654d.jpg" data-mid="1323932" border="0" data-scale="85"/> Follow@chryssa_kotoula images &amp; texts - Chryssa Kotoula | &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;On the lookout for signs The material is the starting point.Parts of different...