Let’s Get Acquainted

My name is Maria Vasilogiannakopoulou, and I was born in 1968 in the village of Vounaria, in the region of Messinia, Greece.

My first encounter with pottery was during my childhood, in the traditional workshops of my village. It was there that I discovered the magic of clay—and fell deeply in love with it.

In 2018, I returned to Vounaria and decided to create my own pottery studio, Choiko. Through this endeavor, I’m taking a small step toward reviving the local ceramic tradition, which had faded when the last old workshop closed nearly 30 years ago.

At my studio, I craft clay objects using red clay, following the traditional forms of the old workshops of Vounaria—a place with a deep-rooted connection to pottery. At the same time, I experiment with more modern shapes, working with white clay and drawing inspiration from both contemporary Greek traditions and ancient motifs.

The name Choiko comes from the phrase “Choikos Adam” (Earthly Adam). Just as, according to tradition, the first human was shaped from earth, so too are ceramics born from the same primal material. Through shaping and firing, clay gains its own breath of life.

For me, each ceramic piece I create is like a small Adam—born from the earth and brought to life through the art of pottery.

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