Stella Baraklianou

Blue Monkey, Mistress of Animals, Volcanic Saffron

Inspired by the Saffron Goddess fresco, Stella Barakianou seeks to recreate the figures of the ancient ritual and evoke their charm, paying homage to its gracious female figures, the goddess, her young initiate, and the alluring Blue Monkey. Her method is based on intuition, as she lets her emotions guide her hands while creating her vessels. Often beginning with some pre-designed sketch and allowing herself to be led by the process and the material, she constructs her objects with coils and embraces gestural expressiveness. This coil-building technique is slower and less rigorous as a creative method, but the results are organic and allow her to establish intimacy with the work. The work is complete when a distinct personality emerges on the vase, through the flaws and uneven markings on its surface.