Sotis Filippides Greek, b. 1963

Sotis Filippides was born in Greece and completed a degree at the Athens School of Ceramics before moving to the UK to learn English.

Sotis's career began while he was at ceramics college here and was brave enough to approach Liberty's, London, who gave him his first commission; since then, his career has gone from strength to strength.

For the last 7 years, Sotis has worked from his studio in Fulham, London. Naturally impatient by nature, Sotis likes to work quickly in clay on the wheel, throwing, firing and colouring every individual piece with his own unique style and process, sometimes plating the pieces in 24-carat liquid gold from Italy. Using clay from the home of pottery, Stoke-on-Trent, he is able to produce works with a very fine yet textured finish which are surprisingly light in weight and yet appear heavy and made from another material such as wood or stone.

Working with simple shapes, Sotis believes people should be able to recognise and identify with each piece. He prefers matt glazes and natural oxides, such as copper and iron, and colours which reflect his inspirations: tree bark; black volcanic rock; the colour of the sky in his native Greece, and the whiteness of the buildings.

Sotis's work has a free, meditative, and rich quality which perhaps stems from his avid refusal to accept commissions. 'I must be happy with my work in itself,' he says, 'it has to be something I want to do, or I don't think it will come out right.'

Sotis works with leading interior designers such as David Linley, the Conran Shop and Harrods and is a selected member of the Craft Potters Association. He has been invited to do a demonstration for Tate Modern and his ultimate ambition is to have a solo exhibition there. It may just happen…

Since 2021, the Porthminster Gallery has shown and represented Sotis Filippides exclusively in St Ives and Cornwall.