Ceramic Relief: 'Η ανάμνηση του σύκου (fig memory)'

n this porcelain piece ‘Η ανάμνηση του σύκου (The memory of the fig)’ I examine scent and texture memories of the Greek fig through ceramics and scent.

Growing up in Kalamos Attikis, Greece, fig trees characterised my childhood landscape: both visually and via scent/touch experiences. Living in Oslo, Norway today means losing access to my culture, alongside these sensorial experiences. My memories are precious and ephemeral: hence the choice of porcelain as clay body. Carving into the leather-hard porcelain, I treat the material like stone, removing layers to reveal an essence. Avoiding any addition of colour, the piece focuses purely on the unique textures remembered: the waxy leaves, glistening fruit, smooth scent. By using raw materials to develop my own glazes from scratch (both semi-matte and glossy), as well as a scented fig-inspired oil, these slow processes become active acts of recreation and remembering.

The relief can be wall-mounted or displayed on a tall podium. This ensures that the audience can access it: touch it, smell it. The aim is to encourage active reflection around background, memory, and what it means to be Mediterranean diaspora today. Like my memories, the fig scent gently diffuses and fades over time.