Alexandra Tsoukala

Fabric sculptor

©Natalia Tsoukala

Pleats for lamps and jewellery

Alexandra opened her first workshop in 1993
She works with fabric and metal
Her objects are decorative but also useful

Alexandra Tsoukala started designing and creating handmade sculptural items, jewellery and fashion items in 1992. Growing up in a house where art and construction were prominent, she started experimenting with handmade creations at a young age. Alexandra uses fabric and metal and her pieces are influenced by the country’s climate, traditions, history and light. Her studies in architecture and dance have also influenced her style. The objects she creates emerge from the material itself and she always keeps in mind that they should serve a purpose. One of the highlights of her working life is when she was asked to design and make a sculptural fabric installation for the Casino Flamingo at Hialeah Park in Miami. “The theme was flamingos and my joy was indescribable.”

Interview

©Natalia Tsoukala

©Natalia Tsoukala

Did you learn your craft from a master?: I am self-taught. I grew up in a house of artists: my mother was a sculptor and my father an architect. Μy mother's studio, her constructions, her art, but also the 'vessels of life' – the houses – that my father used to build as part of our daily life were my education.
When and how did you start your career?: I started with a small exhibition in 1992. I was lucky enough to have a visitor who was opening a store and wanted the first lamp I had designed. Later he opened seven stores in Athens and I supplied all seven stores with my lamps. This allowed me to keep working on my craft.
Where do you draw inspiration?: The main source of inspiration for me comes from the materials themselves. I made the Gen Genie lamp thanks to a pleated fabric with elasticity, light and shade that I found. The traditional pleated costumes in the Benaki Museum inspired me to create a series of fashion accessories. Sometimes nature is a source of inspiration, like for my Fleur lamp which is a flower I wanted to put inside the house.
What is one thing about your craft that people do not know?: I often have leftover materials from other objects I made. My sadness at throwing them away leads me to create a new design to use them up. Many times, they are so successful that the leftover materials are not enough for the new creation.

Alexandra Tsoukala is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1993