Vassilis Politakis lives and works in Heraklion, Crete.

Since 1990 he has worked to understand and recreate the art pottery of the Aegean and Cypriot bronze age .

After fifteen years of research and practice, he has shared his expertise by giving lectures for universities, participating in international documentary films, and cooperating with museums.

Because he specializes in a particular period, he is able to recapture the characteristics, styles, and artistic spirit of its pottery.

Through his work he passes his understanding of these ancient art forms on to you.

	Vassilis Politakis' vases (numbers 311,115,203--production of 1999) shown in National Geographic's documentary
"Greece--The Glories of the Aegean."

An epitome of my lecture, "Minoan Decoration and the Feelings It Can Bring to Us," (peer reviewed and approved by Dr. Joannis Nestoros, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Rethymnon, Crete.)

After extensive research about Minoan pottery, the following conclusions are my beliefs: 1. The Minoans avoided showing anything that depicted violence or war; 2 Decorative designs on Minoan pottery include animals, plants, landscapes, religious symbols, spirals, curvilinear motifs and other abstract designs; 3. Besides the exclusive use of natural designs or those inspired by nature, there are other artistic characteristics of Minoan pottery that produce a great amount of positive energy for those willing to spend a small amount of time studying Minoan civilization and its pottery. Vassilis Politakis

 

Vassilis Politakis talks about Vassilis Politakis

I was born in Heraklion, Crete in 1965, and grew up in Athens until I was fifteen years old. Since 1980 I have lived in Heraklion. I graduated from high school with a grade A diploma, and enrolled at the University of Athens, specializing in pharmacy. I succeeded in completing sixteen courses of general subjects such as chemistry, physics, mathematics, etc., but, after two years, I had to abandon my studies to support my family. This turned out to be very good for me, because I surely prefer being a potter than being a pharmacist.

I come from a family of ceramic artists. My parents have been decorating Greek pottery for 40 years, and from my very early youth I remember painting vases. After leaving the University of Athens, I enrolled in pottery classes in Chania, Crete. Since then, I have been practicing and searching as a potter on my own. The chemistry I learned at the university helped a lot. In 1990 I created my first inspirations in my own workshop.
From the beginning, the pottery of the Aegean Bronze Age attracted me more
than that of any other period or style. I have now been experimenting and trying to recapture the characteristics of the pottery of this period for fifteen years. My knowledge is based on my own work, a most reliable bibliography, visits to the most important museums of Greece and Cyprus, and on information offered by archaeologists and academic professors who are experts in the period.

After these years of study, my efforts have been recognized. I have given lectures at universities, cooperated with museums, participated in international documentary films, and have had my theories about the meaning of Aegean Bronze Age pottery reviewed and approved by scientists.
In my work, I try to give a respectable image of our civilization, avoiding
the production of inferior "junky style" pottery prevalent in shops in Greece, often presented as exact copies of ancient Greek pieces of art.
Such vases, made on the production line for tourist consumption, give a
bad reputation to our ancestors and us modern Greeks.

In 2002 I opened a gallery, "The Spirit of Greece," near the Archaeological
Museum of Heraklion. Here I show and offer for sale my own special products.
I also include items by other artists whose artistic work I respect, whether replicas or modern items. Besides recreating ancient pottery, I design and make modern pottery from time to time. Minoan pottery shows me the characteristics of the human mind--a peaceful character and love for nature--so important to my own life, philosophy, and beliefs; but, as an artist, whenever my mind needs to manifest other inner feelings I choose to show them in my very personal way.

In addition to the art of pottery creation, I have also worked with puppet theater for five years. As scriptwriter, doll maker, stage designer, general director, and actor, I have created one play each year. (These puppet shows took place in the main Theater Station of Heraklion, and have been supported by the Municipality of Heraklion. The income from the tickets of three of the plays was offered as charity to poor families and for the construction of a new branch of a hospital for children.)