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A week of Creative Flow Exploring Ceramics

A week of Creative Flow Exploring Ceramics

€580.00Price

Early Bird Discount 15%

Exploring Ceramics Workshop / Retreat

with marina

 

This full 6day workshop is available once a month. The only thing you need to do is to choose your dates. You can also request dates other than those announced, for a workshop or a retreat. We will do our best to make it happen.

 

In ancient times, Aegina was known for its water jugs made from a pale coloured, local clay that kept the water cool and fresh. These jars were made up to a few years ago by the last potters of the island. Today, no one is left to carry this tradition, so in a way, all of us on the island working with clay, professionally or not, would like to see ourselves safeguarding this tradition.

 

We will start the workshop by exploring local clay, get familiar with it as well as with the environment in which we are, that is the island of Aegina. We will visit one or two of the areas where traditional potters used to pick their clay from all the way up to very recently, as well as explore nature around, pick elements to inspire our work.

 

Back in the studio, we will prepare the wild clay so that we can use it in one way or another – it is not an easy clay to work with, but that won’t stop us from using it to build with and make slip. We will continue our exploration using studio clays, and play with them through a series of exercises to familiarise ourselves with their various qualities. These exercises will be paired with brief discussions on the properties and varieties of clays, basics on slips and glazes if necessary, offering a foundation for experimentation and giving space for unexpected discoveries to appear while creating pieces free from judgement. The basic aim is to dive into the creative process with clay as our medium.

 

Working with clay is a meditative activity, and it is with this meditative approach that I would like to guide you through this workshop, whether you are new, or not, to clay. Show you how to listen to clay, to what is happening right here and now as we hold it in our hands: from wedging all the way through to shaping it into a final piece. The possibilities are many, it is a question of dialogue between you and the clay, what you want to create, what it allows you to do. It requires our full presence and conscious awareness. The dialogue continues until we have found not perfection but harmony in our creation, the balance that makes everything look just right.

 

We will choose together whether we want to create everyday objects or be freer, liberate our creativity even more by crafting small sculptures. What really and truly matters is to create a creative and constructive dialogue with clay.

 

This workshop is tailored for both beginners and people with experience. It is a creative journey into the expressive world of clay. By the end of it, you will have made small sculptures and/ or objects imbedded with your explorative experience: memories of a special week where creativity met pleasure and relaxation.

 

Daily 6-hour workshop: 3 hours in the morning & 3 hours in the afternoon.

Maximum number of participants: 10

 

Included: tea, coffee & snacks, materials & firing of pieces, as well as foraging wild clay excursion and first day lunch.

We are happy to help you organise your trip.

Not included: meals, accommodation, air flights & boat tickets, transfer from and to Athens airport, the ports of Piraeus and Aegina, excursions outside of those included.

 

To book as a Retreat, which includes accommodation at The Grapevine House, breakfast & lunch, contact us to make arrangements.

Price Options
One-time purchase
€580.00
Exploring Ceramics
€290.00every month for 2 months
  • How do you pay for this course

    There are 2 options you can use to pay for this course.

    1. Payment can be one off when you book the course. Payment is refundable if you cancel 30 days before the start of your course.

    2. Pay for your course 50% upon booking and the remainder 1 month later or upon your arrival whichever is sooner.Advance payment is refundable if you cancel 30 days before the start of your course. 

     

  • Who is the teacher

    marina coriolano-lykourezos

    Marina Ηolds a BA in Art History & Anthropology from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She has worked in publishing, as a translator, as a curator and has collaborated with the Athens Photo Festival. She had the gallery space cats&marbles in Athens between 2004 and 2009.

    Her  home has no boundaries, her heart is anchored in many places. She is half Greek half Brazilian, born in London, grew up in Paris and Rio de Janeiro, studied in London and came to Greece in 1999. She finally settled in Aegina in 2012 somewhat by chance, with her partner Yanis with whom she created The Cool Projects in 2013. Soon after arriving on the island she discovered the art of ceramics with ceramicist Theodora Chorafas, a passion with a sure future.

    ​In September 2021, together with Theodora Chorafas and HP Coulon, she co-organised the International Slipware Symposium: two weeks of co-creation on the workshop, materclasses, presentiations and two exhibitions. The event was beautifully covered by Oliwia Tado in a video tyhat can be seen here.

    "It is in Aegina that I discovered ceramics. With this discovery,
    I realised that my feeling of being rooted is linked to the land on which I walk rather than to a country that I can call mine. I do not have a home country, nor do I have one single tongue. I feel at ease everywhere, I express myself in many different languages. Clay has offered me a sense of home.
    The island of Aegina has a long tradition of pottery making. This world opened up to me through Theodora Chorafas, a talented ceramicist who has been living on the island for decades. I took my first steps with her; she very generously shared her experience, sensitivity and passion as well as her studio with me. An invitation to become part of a large family, which I accepted with deep enthusiasm.
    ​It is with a deep sense of respect, patience and fascination that I delved into clay. It is with humility and a meditative approach that I work the clay. I need time to listen and enter into a dialogue with it; to let my hands find the rhythm and the pressure, to start shaping the humid earth with lightness and precision, freedom and consciousness. I need to be present in the here and now, to breathe with it. My hands, my fingers, my whole body breathe with the clay: every inhale and exhale  are present in my cups, plates, sculptures, in their shape and simple decoration. The whole process fascinates me and gives me roots.
    ​I mainly work with a combination of the pinch pot, coiling and slab techniques, finding more interest in the form, and the exploration of the materials. I still feel like a child at the very beginning of a long, creative journey filled with the need and the desire to explore.

  • Book this workshop as a Retreat and get:

    1. Accommodation at the Grapevine House
    Stay in this old, unique and peaceful 19th century house, filled with history and material for inspiration.

    2. Your own space in a shared studio
    You will have your own space to work in a fully equipped, shared painting or ceramic studio.

    3. Culinary Delights
    Fuel your creativity with a complimentary breakfast at The Grapevine House and lunch from a traditional tavern, giving you the chance to explore local cuisine and savour authentic, greek flavours.

    4. Day Trip Excursion
    Venture beyond the retreat to explore the island's cultural and historical treasures. We will take you on a day trip to the Temple of Aphaia, an ancient marvel steeped in mythology, and Palaiochora, a hidden gem of historical significance. More excursions can be organised, depending on your specific interests and time at hand.

    5. Sustainable surprise gift
    As a token of our commitment to sustainable and local tradition, you will receive a gift of chosen, locally produced delights - a tangible reminder of your creative journey in Aegina.

  • Reviews

    Marina is a very good, friendly teacher, she explains everything very clearly and very patiently. I had a great time at the Cool Projects and learned a lot. Thank you for the full experience.

    Ivette B, Shape & Decoreate Ceramics Workshop, August-September 2024

     

    Egine, son soleil et ses roches, magnifique écrin de créativité. Merci Marina de m’avoir faire découvrir cet endroit et transformé les sensations en création. J’espère revenir à Egine bientôt pour continuer d’explorer la terre avec toi.

    Léo

     

    Terre. Terre Mère. Laisser faire mes mains… Accepter les surprises

    Faire avec les aléas.

    Merci Marina pour ta générosité, ton regard, ta bienveillance. Merci pour ce cheminement permis, accompagné. Merci pour ta présence joyeuse, dédiée… dansante.

    Carole

     

    Les mains dans la terre, la tête chavirée par le génie d’Egine. Le stylo trou des mots, le pinceau esquisse une vague. L’un répond à l’autre dans une douce cohérence. Un grand merci pour avoir rendu ce cela possible. Et beau.

    À bientôt,

    Guylaine

     

    Rouge, terre, feu

    Couleurs, matière, feu

    Sensations, créations

    Ravie de cette osmose tout au long de ce stage.

    Merci de ton accueil chère Marina, tu es une belle personne.

    À très bientôt dans ton atelier.

    Brigitte

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