Helios, Selene & Calypso
A collection of sculptural ceramic candleholders inspired by the richness of Mediterranean culture and its timeless symbols: the sun, the moon, and Calypso – the enchanting nymph of Homer’s Odyssey.
In ancient Greece, the Sun (Helios) was revered as a force of vitality and enlightenment, while the Moon (Selene) symbolized mystery, transformation, and the eternal passage of time. Calypso emerges from mythology as the embodiment of allure and the underlying tension between desire and independence. Her figure echoes femininity and the sea, as a realm of inner transition and personal liberation.
Serifos, with its wild and mineral-rich landscape, served as a key point of reference. Earth collected from its rich subsoil was incorporated into the glazes that coat the forms, adding organic depth, earthy texture, and a tangible sense of place.
- Ceramic candle holders
- Stoneware Clay
- Handmade glaze
Kontonikolaki Athena
Kontonikolaki Athena
Athena is a ceramic artist whose practice explores the expressive tension between function and abstraction. Her work navigates the space where utilitarian forms meet sculptural presence, inviting a dialogue between the everyday and the poetic. Grounded in a hands-on approach, she works across hand building, wheel throwing, glaze development, and firing experimentation. Embracing the trial-and error nature intrinsic to ceramics, Athena engages with form, surface, and concept through iterative play.
Her journey into ceramics began during a period of personal transition, when motherhood offered a new rhythm to her life and space for creative exploration. Working with clay quickly evolved into a serious and sustained artistic pursuit. Drawn to its tactile immediacy and transformative nature, Athena sees clay as a unique language to communicate beyond words.
In the past four years, Athena has participated in exhibitions in Greece and the UK, presenting work that reflects her evolving exploration of ceramic form and process.
Athena originally studied Economics and Politics at the University of Reading, later completing a Master’s in Design Studies at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. Her professional background spans PR and communications across the visual arts, design, architecture, and lifestyle - experience that has shaped her sensitivity to visual culture and material expression.
She currently lives and works in Athens, Greece.
