Maritsa Travlos

Painting porcelain with a myriad of colours

• For Maritsa, porcelain is a painting material
• In her work she experiments with a variety of colours
• What she loves most about ceramics is the journey

Maritsa Travlos has a background in painting and drawing which led her to experiment with ceramics in the beginning of the 1990s. She realised early on that she was interested in colour and saw porcelain as a material for painting. In her workshop, she creates artistic objects made of porcelain fired at high temperatures of up to 1280ºC. Maritsa believes that ceramics offer endless possibilities and the journey of creating is what she loves the most – the constant contact with the material and the process of thinking about creating new work daily. Self-taught, she works with about 20 main colour pigments from China from which she creates hundreds of new colours for her creations. In her workshop, she works alongside her small team and feels that every day is a beautiful creative adventure. Maritsa enjoys continuously learning new things. “Today I know much more than I knew last year. We learn from our mistakes and move forward,” she says.

Interview

©Elli Kontogianni Photography

©V. Tsonis

What are the special techniques you use in your art?

I work with white porcelain from England that I store in a place so that it remains moist. I use about 20 special colours made from high-temperature natural material from China and by mixing them, I make hundreds more. I also use special moulds, several firings and hand modelling to create the final object.

Is there a moment in your professional life that you will remember forever?

My gallery and the impact it has on visitors. The joy felt by someone who enters our space and sees these art objects. Whether they buy them or not, the admiration a visitor will feel upon entering the gallery is my greatest reward.

Is there something about your work that people usually do not know?

People do not usually know that there is a long process and multitasking required to make porcelain pieces. Also, the fact that there are endless broken objects we put aside; I think like the Japanese that every object is valuable and none must die.

How does your art relate to the region you live?

My creations are directly related to nature and the sea. I was born by the sea of Moschatos, on an endless sandy beach. For over 30 years, my work has been defined by my memories and love for the world. Ceramics itself has a memory and I keep this truth sacred in my life.

Maritsa Travlos is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1990

Works

©Tsonis Photography

©Elli Kontogianni Photography

©Maritsa Travlos Archive

©Nikolas Kominis Photography

Where