CIRCULAR TERRAZZO by Chryssa Kotoula

Chryssa Kotoula is a visual artist, designer and maker who produces ceramic vessels in which materiality and craftsmanship are the protagonists. Her work finds inspiration in research, vernacular architecture and circular processes. One example is the Circular Terrazzo collection (that uses the circular terrazzo invented by Kotoula) created through a manual process rooted in craft techniques and archaeology.

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The art of glazing poses particular difficulties in terms of recycling and environmental impact: ceramic glaze waste, often infused with glass components, contribute to various forms of pollution, including the release of chemical and toxic contaminants into the soil. Terrazzo, traditionally a flooring material characterised by the arrangement of marble or stone chips within a cement mixture, has therefore been revisited: in this case, traditional materials are replaced by glaze waste.

In the first phase of the research, the artist undertakes the creation of a series of handmade tiles. Subsequently, through an exploration of aesthetics, the end result is a collection of unique vessels in which the recovery of waste material is visible, layer by layer. With a reverse approach to archaeology, each piece is meticulously crafted to resemble ancient artefacts. The final objects consider waste as a new resource and are an example of a circular approach in which history and the present are linked with a sense of continuity: the works become a clear reference to ancient techniques, revisited in a contemporary key. 

The collection Circular Terrazzo was selected for the Officine Saffi Foundation Biennial Prize and the European Ceramic Context 2024 in Bornholm, Copenhagen; the project is also part of the new, free Materials Design Map. To find out more visit Chryssa Kotoula’s website and follow her on Instagram! Photo courtesy

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