Studio Ceramics Workshops was established in 1991 by Efthymios and Ingela Symeou in Larnaca. The workshop-gallery is situated in the old part of Larnaca. Through our close cooperation with Cypriot museums, we specialise in producing replicas of the prehistoric and ancient world of Cyprus as well as medieval glazed pottery using the scraffito technique of the byzantine tradition for modelling collectors’ items. We run regular pottery classes, and have participated in documentary programmes, including the Leventis Foundation sponsored documentary programme about Cyprus Medieval Glazed Pottery.
Key Personnel
Mr Efthymios Symeou
Mr Efthymios Symeou was born in Famagusta, Cyprus. He graduated in 1975 from the Limassol Technical School in Ceramics and Interior Design. He continued his studies in 1977 in Athens. In 1979 he moved to Stockholm, Sweden, where he continued to deal with pottery and taught from 1980 until 1987 at Adult Educational Programs of Stockholm in ceramics. At the same time he enrolled and began studies at the Technological Institute of Stockholm in 1985 graduated with a diploma in Civil and house Engineering. He continued to teach pottery classes, and at the same time participated in various group exhibitions of ceramics. In 1990 he returned permanently to Cyprus and opened Studio Ceramics Workshop. He has continued to teach in Adult Education in Cyprus, within the Cyprus Ministry of education program, during the last 5 years. In cooperation with the Museums in Cyprus he produces replicas and other ceramic items for the Museum shops. He currently cooperates with the Cyprus Department of Antiquities, Pierides Museum, Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia, Thalassa Municipal museum of Ayla Napa, Cyprus Handicraft Center. In addition, he cooperated with the following institutions Mediterranean Museum in Stockholm Sweden, Theoharakis Foundation for the Fine Art and Music In Athens Greece. He specializes in the Medieval Ceramics of Cyprus and works with various techniques and primitive firings. In September 2008 he was invited by KERAMON association for Crete ceramics to present a workshop in Primitive firings in Margarites in Crete. In 1999 in a design competition organized by TMD in cooperation with Municipality Art Center of Nicosia, Pierides Foundation, Bank of Cyprus and the British Council he was awarded for the “Souvenir of the year 1999”. He participated in exhibitions in Greece, France, Italy, Malta, and Sweden. He represented Cyprus in Ceramics Festivals in France, Italy and Slovakia. In 2000 he represented Cyprus in International Design Biennale of Saint-Etienne. For many years he has been a member of the board of the special interest and Cultural Tourism Association. He is a member of the board of Cyprus Pottery/Ceramic Association. He organized and coordinated a Grundtvig workshop in Medieval Ceramics of Cyprus. The workshop was awarded by IDEP for the excellent quality of the workshop. He was the coordinator for the Grundtvig project “Ceramic Art a Living History” on Behalf of the Adult Education of the ministry of Education, he is a coordinator for Cyprus in Erasmus project’’ Potters Rating’’
Mr Robin Symeou
Robin is the oldest son of Efthymios, at an early age he developed an interest for the arts, having spent most of his childhood around the workshop learning and developing his skills in ceramics and the business. Graduating from the technical school of Agios Lazaros in the field of Graphic Design he continued his studies for a Bachelor of Arts. A shared family interest for the natural world also led him to pursue the art of photography, more specifically macro photography, where he draws inspiration from by closely studying and observing the usually unnoticed. Robin is currently running a small workshop from where he keeps the Studio Ceramics production line running while also working on several photographic projects.
