A walk of Art

Heirs of a legacy passed down through the centuries, Limassol’s talented craftsmen are the focus of a new, tailor-made walk: a voyage of discovery which transports the visitor to the intersection of art and time.

For two millennia, the craftsmen of Limassol have wrought dreams, creating visions of artistic wonder from the very elements of this earth. Working with the pigments of the Nile valley, stone from the quarries of Kos, and the finest local copper, their creations – the richly-illuminated volumes, elegant ceramics, and opulent jewellery now displayed in museums around the world – have become an integral part of the island’s heritage.

Today, Limassol remains a haven of creativity: here, in the very centre of this age-old city, contemporary craftsmen follow in the footsteps of generations past. Keeping tradition alive, their enchanted enclave has taken root at the crossroads of past and present. Behind faded walls and rough-hewn doors, down hidden byways and cobbled alleys, the magic continues: metal, earth and wood are transformed into marvels. It’s a process which is almost miraculous and, with the recent launch of the Arts & Crafts Workshops Route Map, an experience now accessible to any visitor to this historic city.

ART AND CULTURE COMBINED

The new route map carries the title of Arts & Crafts Workshops Map/Guide to the Limassol Historical Centre. It is a handy map that prompts and directs you as you walk through the centre of the old city, a hotspot of both traditional and contemporary crafts. Available at all tourist offices, as well as at the Four Seasons concierge desk, the map is “an amazing opportunity to discover the town’s skilled artisans,” explains Maria Stylianou Michaelidou of the Limassol Tourism Board, the organisation behind the initiative. “As a coastal city, we’ve been a confluence of cultures for thousands of years, a melting pot of civilisations and ideas.” This, she reveals, has informed the creation of the walk, allowing

visitors from all over the world to meet – and learn from – the island’s craftsmen.

Featuring 28 local artisans, the illustrated route circles many a time-worn landmark along its meandering path. But it’s the craftsmen themselves and the wonders within their workshops which are the true highlight: the paintings, glassware, accessories, furniture, jewellery, mosaics, and ceramics inspired by tradition.

FOLLOW THE MAP

Launched on December 1, the customisable experience allows visitors to adapt their journey to include those artisans and crafts which most pique their curiosity. Maria says, “There’s no set schedule, everything depends on personal choice. We provide the guide and you can create your own timing and plan; you can easily split the whole route over several days if you prefer short walks, more time with each artists, or a bite-size experience.”

The studios operate on a drop-in, drop-out policy, and in some cases invite artist-visitor interaction during workshops that provide hands-on knowledge. Such workshops offer you a wonderful opportunity to have a go at anything from glassblowing to pot-throwing. “It’s a two-way process which gives the artists a chance to do more than simply create and sell,” Maria adds. “Instead, both creator and viewer share and contribute to the experience.”

The Arts & Crafts Workshops Route Map is a voyage of discovery. Maria continues: “It captures the essence of Limassol, the creative passion and artistic vision which have made us the people we are today: creators of the past, present, and future...” Meet four of the artisans who are conjuring dreams into being.

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GREGORY GROZOS’ MINIATURE WORKS OF ARTportray intricate worlds of theimagination.

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“It’s the idea of showing people art which will excite and inspire. Whole worlds which can be carried in a pocket.”

SMALL WONDERS

Look closer, closer now... This is the miniaturised world of Gregory Grozos, a realm which expands in glorious detail the nearer you get. Tiny kingdoms rise and fall, diminutive castles float above the clouds, and fantastic fairy-tales click into focus, each piece telling a tale of wonder and enchantment.

These Micro-Miniature Worlds are a magnificent microcosm: tiny glass bubbles which house the very essence of imagination. Here stands the Little Prince, caught in a tiny cloche pendant, his scarf flying free in the breeze of the mind; there is a world which consists exclusively of gears and levers, a timepiece watched over by a solitary, microscopic scientist. Even tiny geodes contain flights of distilled whimsy: an amethyst pendant splits to reveal a tiny diamond mine, complete with train track, cart, and glittering spoils.

“It’s the idea of showing people art which will excite and inspire,” Gregory explains. “Whole worlds which can be carried in a pocket,” he adds. He has always had a fascination for the miniature; an expert in the fine arts, this half-Greek, half-American artisan began his career adding his tiny works – no bigger than a fingernail – to larger sculptures. His passion for the small soon led to jewellery creation and, today, he treats everything he creates as an independent work of art.

“Art has always had a tremendous power to affect people,” he acknowledges with a soft smile. “I try to bring out what is positive, bright and wholesome in my art, creating something which benefits and inspires those who visit.” Like his quirky art, the façade of his workshop on Ellados Street draws the eye – a dusty rose wall bisected by a soaring arch. But once within, there’s a minimalist air to the white-washed walls and simple shelving. Here it’s the intricacy of the art which captivates, summoning you into a realm of pure imagination.

MICRO-MINIATURE WORLDSTel: 99 774 173, www.gregorygrozos.com

AN ANCIENT ART

Numbered among the most ancient of arts, pottery was once a means to an end, a skill which allowed food to be safely stored for leaner times. But even the oldest examples of the craft betray a remarkable addition that is wholly indicative of the human need for art: Embellishment.

Inspired by the rich history of earthenware, Andreas Kattos has been fascinated by clay since he was a boy. “A school trip to a maker of ceramics thrilled me to my core,” he reveals. “Here was someone who could take a lump of earth and create something magnificent, something timeless in its beauty.” In later years, the master ceramicist studied the craft in secret. “My father hoped I’d be an electrician,” he laughs, “I didn’t dare tell him what I was doing!”

Today, 30 years on, his dedication and perseverance have more than paid off. Not only a master of his craft, Andreas is a renowned teacher, passing on his knowledge to those who share a love of both his material – “You create clay from a mix of earth and water; you dry and set it with air and fire. It’s miraculous…” – and the history of his craft. “If you open any book on pottery, you’ll find Cyprus right at the top,” he marvels. “I’m consistently amazed by the island’s long-standing connection to ceramics.”

Drawing in part from the art of the Neolithic period, Andreas’s work echoes the primitive beauty of the past. His studio, tucked away on Ankara Street, is a testament to this, furnished as it is with burnished pots, etiolated figurines, and sinuous flora lending an organic feel to the experience, as if one had stumbled into a world of myths and legends. Here, in this quiet studio, gods and men surge to life, the product of the earth beneath our feet.

CAT KERAMEAS CERAMICSTel: 99 679 292, Facebook: catkerameas

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“Open any book on pottery, you’ll find Cyprus right at the top. I’m consistently amazed by the island’s long-standing connection to ceramics.”

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“All books are precious. Be they commercial, collectible or sentimental, every book has a value, from a rare manuscript to your grandmother’s recipes.”

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AT LELLOS BOOKBINDING both father and son share a true passion for their craft: singular expertise and attention to detail is evident in each careful stitch and every tooled leather cover.

A PAGE FROM HISTORY

For more than six decades, Lellos Bookbinding has epitomised literary quality binding, creating and restoring the volumes of work with which they are entrusted. The results can be seen in libraries and collections across the globe, from the Presidential Palace to the Vatican in Rome. All are home to these bookbinders’ ancient tomes, inlaid with intricate brasswork and bound in the finest leather, each an exquisitely refurbished masterpiece.

The founder, Lellos Constantinides, began his craft at the age of 14, but is still very much in evidence. Working away in a corner of the studio, fingers dextrous, each precise movement betrays a continued reverence for his craft. His son, Petros, who manages the business, has clearly inherited both skill and passion, along with a real devotion to achieving excellence in his craft.

Both father and son welcome many a visitor to their shop on Ayios Andreou Street. Casual callers, school groups, and members of guided tours are rendered spellbound, captivated both by the pair’s expertise and the photography – depicting the beginnings of their business – hung on the walls. It’s a personal approach which has stood the test of time, a blend of old and new which echoes the shop itself, where the modern entrance is graced by door handles fashioned from ancient tools, and historic tomes vie for a place among contemporary ledgers.

“All books are precious,” explains Petros, acknowledging the subjectivity of worth. “Be they commercial, collectible or sentimental, every book has value, from a rare manuscript to your grandmother’s recipes. Quality,” he reiterates, “is timeless. And true craftsmanship, such as that included in the ‘Arts and Crafts Workshops Guide’, should be showcased. Above all, we artists want to share our knowledge and skills; it’s our heritage which has been handed down to us through the centuries.”

LELLOS BOOKBINDING Tel: 25 363 628, www.lellosbookbinding.ws

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“I’ve always been fascinated by the wall murals in ancient churches, and the process of creation.”

EMPLOYING ANCIENT BYZANTINE METHODSand drawing on decades ofexperience, iconographerTheodosis Theodosiou creates vividmasterpieces bursting with warmth,light and life.

DREAMS IN COLOUR

Enter the studio of Theodosis Theodosiou and you step into a hive of colour, buzzing with glorious golds, rich reds, and glass greens. From the outside, the workshop is an unassuming low stone building, set back from Spartis Street and almost directly north of the imposing Mediaeval Castle. By contrast, the interior is a riotous rainbow of jewel-like hues, a vibrant collection of art fit to rival the stained glass windows of the most magnificent cathedrals.

For nearly four decades, this expert iconographer has been honing his craft, first in Athens, later in his hometown of Limassol – a place from which he has drawn much inspiration. Building on the very beginnings of the art form, he has long had a love for the Byzantine era; his knowledge of the subject is second to none. “I’ve always been fascinated by the wall murals in ancient churches,” he explains, “and the process of creation. There are formal iconographers, and then there are artistic iconographers; I belong to the latter,” he chuckles.

Adhering to the ancient methods of creation, blending Byzantine techniques with elements of Renaissance and folk art, Theodosis is known worldwide for his stunning pieces, which range in size from the most miniscule of icons to wall-spanning triptychs. Religion imbued with life, his saintly subject matter is set apart by his attention to detail – especially in the expressions of those who gaze down from the meticulously executed works.

“Portraiture without expression can look flat, so I add that personal touch,” he reveals, referencing an icon depicting The Magi. Each of the three wise men – reverent in their worship – bears a warmth to the eyes, a genuine sincerity that is rarely seen in the more exacting craft of ecclesiastic iconography. It’s a look echoed in the artist’s own countenance, a touching and palpable passion for the ancient craft he has made his own.

CONTACT DETAILS S. THEODOSIOU ICONS & PAINTINGSTel: 99 745 006, Facebook: theodosis.theodosiou.75