Maria Economides
Maria Economides (b.1980 inThessaloniki, Greece)
Maria Economides was born and raised in Thessaloniki Greece.
She studied business administration to run her family business of timber trade, but arts and crafts was always part of her life. in 2010 she moved with her family in Shanghai, China where she lived for 8 years, having the opportunity to travel all over Asia and discover different cultures. She moved to Athens in 2018 and started studying ceramics that became her passion, because in contrast to this era of instant gratification we are in, clay needs time, patience and concentration.
“Pottery is a continuous curiosity. How it is made, the way it feels, its shape and surface, how the ceramic object exists within a home. When I work with clay, I feel that I enter in a dialogue with the material. I enter in a relationship with it. Clay sets its limits and shows me what it likes and what it doesn’t. Then, I try to make this work for me.”
Her forms interplay between the functional and the sculptural with a dose of humour. All her ceramics are hand crafted, using only the simplest of tools.
Economides was first shown in 2021 at the Milan Design Week.
In the last year alone, her work has been displayed at MAD Paris (Musée des Arts Décoratifs), at the Art Athina fair and the ancient technology Museum of Athens. She is currently displayed at the Van Gogh Museum.
in Arles and has a collaboration with the Invisible Collection gallery.