London

Angelika Kogevina

Ceramicist | Barcelona, Spain

Sculptural ceramics for a dialogue on values

Angelika’s speciality is working with the slab-building technique
She draws inspiration from ancient Greek and Mediterranean artefacts
Her pieces seek to emulate the essence of human experience

Angelika Kogevina worked as an interior designer until one day she decided to take a few classes at a local ceramics workshop in Greece. "My work was considered unusual," she recalls, as the workshop primarily focused on making traditional ceramics. "As a result, although I was introduced to the basic rules, I ended up exploring on my own to truly understand how clay works," says Angelika. After spending a week in that local workshop, she discovered a fascination for raw clay work. "It allowed me to completely isolate myself, and I would spend the entire day thinking about the next object I wanted to create," she explains. Angelika has specialised in the slab technique and in sculptural finishes.

Interview

What does working with your hands mean to you?: From a very young age, I have been creating things with my hands, using any material I could find. I was always drawn to handmade creations, and my early exposure to arts and crafts as a child probably shaped me in subconscious ways. Working with my hands has always felt completely natural.
What do you seek to communicate through your pieces?: Through my work, I try to remind myself of the values and simplicity with which our ancestors lived – values that we are privileged to recognise and appreciate today. I would say my work is deeply connected to the past, but with a contemporary vision.
Which artists or artisans have influenced your work?: Lucie Rie, Hans Coper, Louise Bourgeois, Ruth Duckworth, and the Greek ceramicist Eleni Vernadaki. I admire them not only for their artistic achievements but also for their philosophy and the way they convey the values they wished to express through their work.
What have ceramics taught you?: It teaches me patience, respect, and an understanding of the slow and deliberate process that I must learn to embrace. It also teaches me to accept that sometimes, despite all the effort I put in, things will not turn out as expected. All these aspects come together to create a truly magical world.

Angelika Kogevina is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2004 and she started teaching in 2009