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Karolos & Akis: Metalworking
Greek master jewellery maker Akis Goumas and fellow Karolos Vlachiotis
Akis Goumas is a jewellery maker, metal specialist and a member of the Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece. Since 2006 he has collaborated with a group of archaeologists and museums focusing on ancient metal techniques from the Aegean region. He exhibited his work at Homo Faber 2022 in Venice, at Creative Nature organised by BeCraft in Brussels and more recently at Masters of the Future in Seville.
Karolos Vlachiotis studied at the School of Jewellery in Athens and has since developed a jewellery making practice that encompasses combining precious metals with other materials, such as wood, stone, and porcelain, using various techniques. Inspired by ancient forms and nature, he pays close attention to small scale elements even in large pieces.
From the Byzantine East to the Contemporary West
Master artisan Akis and fellow Karolos created a sculptural object inspired by 11th-century Byzantine jewellery they studied at the Canellopoulos Museum using a microscope. The shape and details of the object derive from elements of the earrings and bracelet, which the duo transformed to echo the Art Deco style. They deconstructed the Byzantine griffin by tracing the toolmarks of the Byzantine craftsman on the metal’s surface. Inside the object, the griffin reminds the viewer of the object’s journey from Byzantium to the present day. The object is handmade using chasing, repousse and hammering techniques from silver derived from old silverware, maple wood and gold-plated silver.
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