ABOUT LEMBA POTTERY

Lemba Pottery was established in 1988 by George and Sotiroula Georgiades. It is situated in the small artist’s village of Lemba, near Paphos in the west of the island of Cyprus.

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All our work is handmade, primarily on the potter’s wheel. We also use other techniques for non-round shapes such as slab building, coiling, pinching and tiling for wall installations. Our creative ethos is ‘Beauty from simplicity’ with a focus on form and texture.

 

Nature is our inspiration. The colour of the sea, the stones, the sea pebbles, dried leaves, and organic forms are always very inspiring to us. This is the main reason why we decided to work with stoneware clay and developed our own lead-free glaze recipes which we fire in a gas kiln at 1260°C. The high temperatures of our gas firings give us the freedom to create glazes with a matte finish in earthy colours derived from nature. The turquoise blue of the Mediterranean Sea is also one of our favourite colours. Our glazes are tactile and inviting with a distinctive surface texture. We strongly believe that pottery is meant to be used so many of our creations are functional items such as mugs, cups, kitchen jars, storage jars, plates, bows and other crockery. We also create vases, wall plates, tiles etc. Part of our work also involves the creation of one-off pieces, which have graced gardens and homes across the world. As our work is handmade, and the glazes developed by us in our studio, no two pieces are the same. They each bear the mark of the maker and are an antithesis to mass-produced ceramics.

 

POTTERY CLASSES

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Lemba Pottery runs pottery classes as well as workshops. Other activities related to art are organized as well. Students have the opportunity to explore a variety of techniques which are used to create objects, such as throwing on the wheel, slab building, coiling, pinching and sculpting, plus they learn the process of decorating and glazing. We also welcome people to attend a one-time course just for the experience of working and interacting with the clay. Contact us for more information!

 

ABOUT LEMBA

 

Our studio is located in Lemba, one of the most ancient villages in Cyprus, which was first settled 5,800 years ago. One of the most important archaeological finds which attests to its long history is the famous cruciform devotional carving known as the ‘Lady of Lemba’, which was found in the area and dates to the Chalcolithic period (3,800 BC). It is considered a predecessor of the Cypriot Aphrodite (Venus), the main female deity identified with the fertility of nature and women. Situated on top of a peaceful escarpment overlooking the Mediterranean and surrounded by open fields and orchards, Lemba is an oasis of calm. Natural water springs also ensure the valley opposite our studio remains green most of the year. These springs were also what made Lemba the first centre in Cyprus for the production and export of glazed pottery during the Middle Ages, and we are delighted to contribute to Lemba’s long history of pottery-making.

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