Athens is buzzing with new creative energy. Art, design, and experimentation come together in ways that feel both rooted and exciting. From virtual worlds to sensual furniture, from bold branding to edible architecture, a new generation of Greek creatives is reshaping how creativity looks, feels, and even tastes. We spoke with four of them about inspiration, identity, and power.

Visual Artist

Your work sits between tech, fantasy, and performance. What’s been sparking your imagination lately?

There are too many sparks right now — it feels like the world is on fire. I’ve been having a lot of apocalyptic daydreams about climate wars and trying to turn that anxiety into creative material.

You’ve turned virtual space into something intimate. What’s the secret ingredient?

I try to approach technology critically and look for emotional and bodily responses to it. Making digital worlds tactile, sensory, and a little awkward helps people enter the work instead of standing at a distance. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, a certain magic appears and the work starts speaking on its own.

Does being Greek influence the worlds you create, or are they from another planet entirely?

I’ve been struggling with that question for a while. For me, “Greekness” is less about identity and more about geography and a way of thinking — a spirit of place and a pragmatic approach to both aesthetic and technical challenges. That attitude seeps into everything I make.

Any exciting shows coming up?

We recently opened If/Then at the Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw, on view until February 2026. We built a fully functional Polish version of the “Feral Metaverse” catapult. It’s a really fun show — don’t miss it.

Designer and Sculptor

Your work exists somewhere between furniture and figure — functional yet expressive, animated yet grounded. How do you imagine people living with these pieces?

My pieces feel organic and alive, but they also hint at something monumental, almost sacred in their geometry. I’m drawn to that tension. I want people to experience moments of ambiguity — times when a piece feels caught mid-gesture, as if interrupted in motion, and other times when it appears calm, serene, and perfectly composed.

There’s a strong sense of vitality in your sculptures. What has been inspiring you lately?

Throughout my practice, I’ve been interested in femininity as fluidity, strength, nurture, and playfulness. Recently, womanhood has become a recurring focus. I’ve been thinking a lot about a woman in her thirties — a time marked by heightened awareness of the body and of lived experience. It’s a period of transformation, and right now I find myself deeply inspired by the idea of “a 35-year-old woman.”

What does a good day in the studio look like for you?

It starts with music and warm, orange light. The sounds of tools hitting, slapping, shaping material. Coffee — followed by more decaf. I spend time drawing symbols through self-invented puzzle games, letting intuition lead. And for some reason, having a horror movie playing quietly in the background always helps.

When you need a creative reset, where do you go in Athens?

In the summer, I head to the beach to collect rocks, pebbles, and bits of plastic. In the winter, I wander through parks, gathering flowers and leaves. They’re small things, but they’re dense with information — something always clicks. And if I really need to reset, I’ll go for a margarita with ice in Kypseli.