The Lunar Year of the Snake begins this month, and coincidentally, Kansas City artisan Evie Englezos finds compelling meaning in the iconography of snakes and serpents in her handmade tableware.
”Few other creatures elicit such intense reactions, yet they appear in every culture’s ancient lore, often associated with change and transformation, death and rebirth because of the continual renewal evident in shed skins,” Englezos says.
The serpents in her work commonly reference world mythologies. “A couple of my favorite snake-like entities in Greek mythology are Agathos Daimon, or ‘noble spirit’—a kind of ancient version of a guardian angel who protects, advises and brings luck to individuals and households—and the giant serpent, Delphyne, who originally guarded the Oracle at Delphi, considered then to be the center of the earth. Their stories and symbology are so rich.”
Englezos says she uses Ceramic Ontology as her moniker “to describe the process of exploring the nature of life and existence through my art. While not a formally recognized branch of philosophical study, it’s my fun way to hint at themes present in my work. And I think we’re all studying what it means to exist.”
Serpent-handled Platter with Paramita Flower. Handbuilt porcelain, black underglaze, sgraffito, glaze and 22k gold luster.
Visit Evie’s Instagram @sweetdestructor.
