ATHENS
In the universe of Myra
MYRSINI ALEXANDRIDI
The Doric essence of Greece is expressed by Myrsini Alexandridi through her multicolored, handcrafted artworks – mostly painting on ceramic tiles.
With her beloved Skopelos nourishing her with new ideas, the artist-architect who lives in Stockholm describes her painting as “improvisation in the Greek dialect”, while she is inspired by Greek landscape, architecture and traditional artforms – for instance, the embroidery of her grandmother.
Myra is an art studio based in Stockholm, founded by Greek architect Myrsini Alexandridi. Myrsini is a practicing architect, originally from Greece, always carrying with her the Mediterranean aura trying to harmonise it with the northern European aesthetics.
“Greece is my heritage which I carry with me both consciously and subconsciously. Her history, tradition, architecture, customs, and topography shaped me as a person, an artist and an architect and thus influence my work.
Through my work, I try to reconnect with my roots, the memories of the places I have been and the images I have from my childhood. I find inspiration in the astonishing Greek islands; each one carries a unique identity related to the landscape and the culture has flourished on it. But all of them together create a unity and an identity that inspires and directs my artistic vocabulary.
My family’ s origins are from Skopelos, an island in the northern part of the Aegean with a beautifully green landscape where the pine trees grow next to the see. On the other hand, I am charmed from the hardness and clarity of the Cycladic islands, where nothing can hide from the strong summer sun.
I am aware of history, but I am more interested in folklore tradition and art that goes from “mouth to mouth”, from one generation to the other. I was very lucky to grow up with two grandmothers that left behind beautiful embroidery works. I like to copy history and tradition and improvise on it. What the previous generations left is a great source of inspiration and of further development of new ideas and new motifs.
My work is balancing between architecture and art. My studies and my carrier as an architect have made me understand and embrace the idea of craftsmanship. Through this idea I began to experiment with my desire to create with my hands. The materiality and tactility of the tiles intrigued me from the first time to work with them and transform them. I started painting on the glazed surface in the same way I was painting on the paper and then I realised how much I enjoyed the process of holding a ceramic tile and looking at how the paint interacts with the glaze. Through my painting I aim to create something extraordinary from the ordinary. I work with the tiles the same way other artists paint on canvas. My ambition is to transform a painting into an object and an object into a painting.”
MYRSINI ALEXANDRIDI
THROUGH MY WORK, I TRY TO RECONNECT WITH MY ROOTS, THE MEMORIES OF THE PLACES I HAVE BEEN AND THE IMAGES I HAVE FROM MY CHILDHOOD. I FIND INSPIRATION IN THE ASTONISHING GREEK ISLANDS
The studio
Myra is an art studio based in Stockholm and Athens, founded by Greek architect Myrsini Alexandridi. Inspired by the Mediterranean aesthetics, the Greek culture and and the minimal Scandinavian design she creates unique hand painted ceramics and paintings. The artwork is mainly consists of collections of terracotta tiles and paintings used as interior decorative elements.
Inspiration
Greece is my heritage which I carry with me both consciously and subconsciously. The history, the tradition, the architecture, the customs, and the topography of my country shaped me as a person, as an artist and as an architect and thus influence my work. Through my work, I try to reconnect with my roots, the memories of the places I have been and the images I have from my childhood. I find inspiration in the astonishing Greek islands; each one carries a unique identity related to the landscape and the culture has flourished on it. But all of them together create a unity and an identity that inspires and directs my artistic vocabulary. My family´s origins are from Skopelos, an island in the northern part of the Aegean with a beautifully green landscape where the pine trees grow next to the see. On the other hand, I am charmed from the hardness and clarity of the Cycladic islands, where nothing can hide from the strong summer sun. I am aware of history, but I am more interested in folklore tradition and art that goes from “mouth to mouth”, from one generation to the other. I was very lucky to grow up with two grandmothers that left behind beautiful embroidery works. I like to copy history and tradition and improvise on it. What the previous generations left is a great source of inspiration and of further development of new ideas and new motifs.
Patterns inspired by embroidery & topography
Textiles have been a part of Greek heritage since ancient times. They feature in myth, legend, and every day life and they pass from generation to generation. I find inspiration in traditional embroideries and I am trying to improvise on them creating new patterns and compositions. Nature can show us so much in terms of design, shapes, colours, and patterns. I love drawing landscapes especially when I am on holidays on an island; I enjoy capturing the moment I have with the nature that surrounds me. I would say that I am not so interested in nature’s continuous transformation rather than in nature’s permanency and duration.
Α new collaboration
The new Hyle collection, “The Skyrian” is in collaboration with Hyle and Myra. This collection pays tribute to a unique creature, the Skyrian horse, and aims to raise awareness about a matter close to our hearts, its preservation. This horse breed is one of the most ancient and rare in the world.
The Skyrian horse is distinctly small-bodied and has lived on the island of Skyros for more than 2,000 years. There are only 200-300 such horses left worldwide, the majority of which live on the island. The species is inevitably threatened with extinction, and the local community, with the assistance of volunteers is doing its best to preserve this gentle creature. Raising cultural awareness and promoting the Greek heritage is one of the core values of Hyle. From its inception by Stefania, the creative director of hyle, till its realisation by Myrsini, this collection has been made with love and meraki.
MYRSINI ALEXANDRIDI
Stockholm and Athens
