16 Dec 2022 | People

“Artificiel”: Yiannis Ghikas and Myran collaborate for a porcelain collection

The “epidermis” of Athens enters the home for the first time!

DS.WRITER:

Sophia Throuvala

Photo: Yiannis Ghikas

Renowned designer Yiannis Ghikas is collaborating with the very well-known Scandinavian design store Myran for the Artificiel collection, which is about to be launched on December 17. Myran has been specialising for 20 years in Scandinavian - and more recently Japanese- design in Athens. The main goal of Myran is to “import” the feeling of being at home. Centred around the Scandinavian school of design, they promote and represent the northern, minimal-functional design approach through the work of important designers like Arne Jacobsen and Hans J. Wegner as well as up-and-coming manufacturers and artists, while they also bring some of the most famous international design brands to Greece, like Muuto and HAY.

Photo: Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

The collaboration with Yiannis Ghikas was instant (“it was love at first sight”) when he presented to Myran the designs for the Artificiel collection. The award-winning designer, who is interested in showcasing the materiality in the final product, which is always processed with a modern approach and respect to traditional techniques (i.e. Soda Tables), proposed a collection centred around the “epidermis”, as he says, of Athens. Greatly emphasising the Japanese porcelain technique as a means, and ultimately aiming to isolate the most distinctive architectural element of the city as an aesthetic, the collaborators and friends proceeded in unison to the production of their collection, which is made from Portuguese porcelain, designed by Ghikas and distributed by Myran.

Photo: Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

The core and inspiration source of the collection is Yiannis Ghikas’ interest in the so-called Artificiel, a technique that has been used in most buildings in Athens, most of them having been built between 1950-1970. This technique is distinguished by rough surfaces made from carved plaster. This “epidermis” of the city, sometimes well conserved but for the most part worn out and poorly conserved, drew the attention of the designer, who desired to integrate it into his work, exploring it not on the scale of the building but on the scale of the object.

Photo: Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

The white masonry as an urban symbol is isolated and incorporated into utilitarian objects, turning the exterior element into interior! The materiality of the facades is embedded into the white ceramics of the collection, transforming the monumental into something portable, always respecting the technique itself. As Myran tells us, Yiannis’ idea is a unique way to impart the dual aesthetics of the store itself, which represents Scandinavian and Japanese design in the pluralistic and colourful city of Athens. So, a chaotic city acquires a “minimalist” tone that simultaneously characterises both collaborators as a token of their friendship and mutual respect, while it “praises” every version of the Athenian facade.

The collection will be available on 17 of December 2022.