Spot the Designer - Lily Kanellopoulou/ Greece
What did you want to be when you were a child?
To be honest, when I was a child I was a little bit confused about my future job. I liked anything that had to do with arts! My later choice to attend “Vacalo, art and design college” in Athens had a lot to do with that. At this college, except for the main courses, you had the chance to choose several laboratories and be trained in a lot of different fields.
When have you started creating jewelry? How did this passion come about?
In 1979, when I was working as an interior designer, I had a break between two different jobs and I thought it was a good chance to start jewelry lessons, which was an older desire. But it lasted only a few months as my next job was at a factory and very demanding. My real studies on jewelry started in 2013, after a shocking family incident.
What was your first project or significant piece for you and from what point of view?
My first significant piece was a bracelet during my studies at the intensive course of “Alchimia” in Florence, in 2014. It was a good lesson of patience and belief in myself, as I had designed a piece that was rather difficult for my jewelry knowledge then. That piece and a few more later, led me to the decision to work as a jeweler and create my own studio in Athens.
How do you charge your batteries? What other passions and creative interests do you have?
My staying at my cottage on the island, swimming and walking in the countryside and meeting my beloved friends are the best ways to recharge my batteries. Movies and theater are among my passions that I really missed during the lockdowns. From time to time I remember one of my old jobs and I work as an interior designer but only for close friends. Due to the lack of time, very rarely I design one or two fashion clothes for me that I sew myself. So that I don’t forget another old job!
What does the connection between manufacturing tradition and contemporary design mean to you?
I believe that the contemporary design uses a lot of the knowledge of manufacturing tradition, but I can’t say for the opposite.
Is there a self-portrait piece that speaks most about you?
Working with the same material for a long time deepens your knowledge and sometimes drives you to unexpected discoveries. It was a moment of great pleasure when I managed to inlay a broken piece of dried leaf in my resin with the embossed lines continuing normally.
Which material have you not yet used is a temptation and a challenge for you?
Although I love metal, I had left it aside working a long time with resin that fascinates me, because it gives me the opportunity to create strange forms, textures and colorful pieces. My future goal is to continue my enamel seminars, which were stopped during the pandemic period.
How was the pandemic period for you as a jewelry designer?
The pandemic period was really difficult for me as a person and as an artist too. My studio is a few kilometers away from home, but during the lockdowns it was forbidden to drive there. Luckily I had thought to carry the necessary tools and materials at home, but I was working with a lot of difficulties. Although there was no space for experimentation or research for new inspiring stuff, I believe that my pieces of this period have the same quality, but my production was low.
How do you see the future of contemporary jewelry?
Everything is evolving . Contemporary jewelry entered the universities of many countries with excellent teachers and new colleges are created, (unfortunately not in Greece where we have only a few studios teaching it and it is unknown even to well cultured people ). Every year many talented and fresh new jewelers graduate from those schools, so I believe that their ideas and passion will bring a new development and will open new space, a necessary step for contemporary jewelry.
Find more about the designer Lily Kanellopoulou