While still at school Sotis displayed a talent for art and developed a keen interest in three-dimensional art in particular. He later enrolled in a four-year degree course at the Athens School of Ceramics. After his degree he came to the UK and enrolled on another ceramics course. An early commission for the Conran Shop finally made him decide to settle in the UK. It also gave him the confidence to set up a small studio in Fulham.
Sotis throws with a clay from Stoke-on-Trent that is very rough and textured, with fine, stone-like sand particles, but is highly malleable. This allows him to achieve his characteristic fine yet textured finish. Sotis prefers matt glazes and natural oxides and the grainy exterior of his vessels are glazed in dark shades with soft coloured contrasting interiors. Some are given an opulent feel by applying 24 carat gold or platinum to the interior.
“I spend childhood summers in the family’s house beside the sea in Greece. The shapes and colours of pebbles and shells, and the reflections of rocks under water, leave a deep imprint in my memory, and they can all be found in my latest work.” Sotis Filippides
