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Shokhrukh & Giannis: Ceramics

Greek master ceramicist Giannis Zois and Uzbek fellow Shokhrukh Rakhimov

From his Athens-based workshop Giannis Zois explores the technical limits of ceramics, looking for forms which communicate in the simplest way. With specific skills in wheel throwing and ceramic chemistry, Giannis’ approach to clay is instinctive; he experiments with the material led by his imagination. He began ceramics later in his life, switching from his career in statistics at 30 years old.

Shokhrukh Rakhimov was born into a family of hereditary potters and grew up in a creative environment. After his studies in Ceramic Art at Kamoliddin Behzod, he went to work at the Rakhimov Ceramic Studio in Tashkent. He is the curator of a charity project at the rehabilitation centre for the social adaptation of children with developmental disabilities.

Art Deco Totem (flora and fauna)

From his Athens workshop master ceramicist Giannis collaborated with fellow Shokhrukh, a seventh-generation potter, to create a monumental totem inspired by the symmetrical geometry and animalistic patterns characteristic of Art Deco design. The result is a sculpture consisting of four different vessels that can exist individually or together as part of a large modular column. Created using porcelain and African mahogany, the totem is decorated with repeating hand painted illustrations of flora and fauna in 22 carat gold, inspired by Uzbek motifs, reflecting the ecosystem: underwater, terrestrial and aerial. The inspiration for the form comes from Buddhist prayer cylinders, Islamic architecture and Greek columns.