The role of Ceramics:Then and Now

Greece has always been a land of earth, fire, and myth. A place where raw clay, shaped by hand becomes something more than just a vessel. Ceramics in Greek culture have never been mere objects. They’ve been storytellers, symbols of daily life, art forms, and sacred relics. For those of us working in clay today, that legacy still speaks probably subconsciously through every piece we make.

In ancient times, ceramics were everywhere. Used for storing oil and wine, cooking, funerary rites, and religious offerings, they were an essential part of daily life. But they were never just utilitarian.

Greek potters and painters transformed these vessels into canvases for myth, legend, and history. Red-figure and black-figure pottery told stories of gods, heroes, and everyday moments. From battles and weddings to athletic contests and symposia.

Even the shapes of pots had meaning. A krater mixed wine and water for gatherings. An amphora stored grain or olive oil. A lekythos held oils for the body, often placed in tombs as offerings. Each form had a role, and its design was as thoughtful as its function.

Ceramics were deeply tied to ritual, birth, marriage, and death. Figurines were offered in temples. A child's toy might be made of terracotta. In this way, ceramics captured the human experience in a permanent, tangible form.

An ancient pot withholds a civilisation , its beliefs, its aesthetics, its humanity.

While modern world is more likely to serve wine from a glass than a krater, the ceramic tradition hasn’t faded , it has evolved. Today, artisans, including myself at KOGEVINA CERAMICS, draw inspiration from this ancient legacy while reinterpreting it for contemporary life.

The earthy reds of Attic clay, the geometric patterns of early Greek design, the harmony of form and function ,these remain powerful sources of influence. But they are not limitations. They are starting points.

In my own work, I try to embrace  this legacy without being bound by it. Some forms echo classical silhouettes, others explore abstract lines, ancient ceramic techniques with a dialogue between past and present taking place.

In a fast-paced, disposable world, ceramics slow us down. They ask us to hold something real.

They connect us to the earth. To our history. To the simple rituals of everyday life. To beauty, usefulness, and the human hand.

Ceramics aren't just part of the past. They're a living tradition , reimagined in every studio, in every kiln, in every hand crafted piece that carries the spirit of craft forward.

With my ceramics I see every object as a small act of cultural memory with a  modern expression. A way to keep the story going.