Lesvos Pottery
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Electra works with terra cotta clay imported from Spain, and makes her pots both on the wheel and with molds that her father designed. Before bisque firing, Electra coats the terra cotta with white slip, then paints geometric or floral designs with a small brush. Shortly after beginning her clay work with her mentor Fabian Herzog in Molyvos, Electra won a prize at the Annual Exhibition of the Ceramics Museum in the town of Mandamanos. This boost of confidence pushed her toward becoming a working studio potter. In the city of Mytilene, the market street Ermou is located parallel to the busy harbor. In the old Turkish section here, you will find Ergani Shop and Studio.
CLAYTIMES¡COM n SUMMER / FALL 2017
I interviewed three of the five potters who create clayworks for Ergani Studio. I have been charmed by the designs from this studio since 2002, so it was a pleasure to return with more time to learn their production processes.
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Georgia Zachariadis became interested in pottery after taking classes in Bologna, Italy. After that introduction, she continued to study clay via workshops and seminars. Georgia founded Ergani Studio in 1989 after studying with the potter Hadyyannis from Agiassos for eight years. Georgia now has a home studio in Petri, near Molyvos, where she throws, decorates, and fires her pots. Her husband transports the work to Mytilene city, where her son Anastasi and his wife Katerina Lamprou paint the whimsical designs and run the business side of the shop. A potter in a distant village also throws pots for the studio, and a fifth employee, Lida Xidia, is an artist who helps design and decorate the work. Anastasi studied economics and taught his subject after serving his mandatory military service. As Georgia’s pottery business began to grow, Anastasi helped his mother in the studio. Eventually he chose to devote all his time to the pottery to have a more
Fish jug made by Ioannis Hatziyannis, an Agiassos 2nd generation potter. creative career and to be his own boss. Anastasi’s charming decoration and brushwork features house, boat, and bird motifs. The makers of Ergani Studios also work with terra cotta clay, which they once imported from Crete but now buy from Italy. All their pieces are dipped in white slip, carved, then bisque fired. Each pot is carefully painted with oxides and pigments mixed with glaze. A clear glaze is applied for the final firing. It is the labor of intensive painting, as well as their whimsical designs, that make Ergani Ceramics so appealing to their customers, the Greek citizens and tourists alike. Before the refugee crisis, the economy of Greece was already in dire straits. The European Union and the Greek government imposed a 45% tax rate. When the migrants arrived, tourists did not come. On Lesvos, where many businesses depend on tourism, this added to the hardships facing the residents of this island. As is the case for potters around the world, making a living from the craft is difficult. So Ergani Studios has increased production and distribution of their work to mainland Greece and other island galleries. Athens and the more famous islands of Santorini and Mykonos still have high rates of tourism, so it makes sense for Georgia, Anastasis, and Katerina ship wholesale work there.
In Molyvos, Electra manages her finances by working four jobs. She is a potter, a shopkeeper, a singer of traditional Greek music, and a cultivator in her olive groves. Even so, she is concerned she did not save enough to last the winter. The seaside shop in Skala Eressos opens from May through October, so Thespina balances her studio time by the seasons. Through the summer, she works at the family shop Thallasaki. From October through May, she is busy making pots in her studio located behind the shop. She no longer sends her work to other galleries. The uncertainty of the economy is the worry of these fine craftspeople. It is difficult to plan ahead, but the love of clay keeps them working and trying to enjoy something each day. If you are one who enjoys travel off the beaten path, Lesvos is a perfect place to vacation. Besides the usual Grecian benefits of pleasant climate, delicious food, the crystal sea, and varied terrain, it is the hospitality of the refugee-helping citizens that makes travel here quite special. If you can make the journey, take pride in knowing that your trip will help provide much needed financial and moral support to the fine people of this historic island, rich in craft tradition. [