What inspired you to become a jewelry designer?
The love of my roots made me a jewelry designer. I grew up in a family with two renowned archaeologists, Effie and Yannis Sakellarakis, spending my childhood summers at excavations. As you can imagine, I found myself surrounded by magnificent findings which I admired and I ended up designing some of them. I can admit that the combination of my educational background in Archaeology (Phd in Archaeology and History of Art at the University of Heidelberg) and Painting led me to my true passion, jewelry design in which I got professionally involved 6 years ago.
What are the main features of your designs?
My jewelry can be characterized by the austere simplicity of the Doric style and the geometric motifs of Ancient Greek art. To be more precise, it evokes ancient pieces, yet encompasses both modern and futuristic elements, forming my unique and authentic signature.
What is your favorite piece you ‘ve ever created and what made it so special?
I think that my most special piece is the convertible ring of the ICHTHYS collection. I love its sculptural shape and the uniqueness of separating it in two pieces (convertible), the WAVE (kyma) and the FISH (ichthys). At the same time, I would choose the DORIAN cuff as my most beloved piece. I adore the austere simplicity of its lines which totally represent my style.
What kind of woman wears your jewelry?
A woman with a strong personality who has a point of view and loves to wear jewelry that expresses her.
Dorian, Kyma, Poseidon, Keras… it seems that your inspiration comes from Greece. How does it feel to be inspired from your country’s heritage and not being able to enjoy the benefits due to the crisis?
Indeed, most of my collections are inspired by our blessed country. Actually, Greece except for inspiration for my designs, is a way of thinking about life. Unfortunately, the Greek market is recessing and many potential buyers cannot actually afford to buy many things, let alone jewelry. Taking this into consideration, I am trying to stay positive about the crisis and the Greek jewelry in general, offering less expensive lines for those wishing to wear a piece of PSE style. At the same time, I also address my jewelry to the International markets and I plan to expand this involvement further. As an international contemporary Greek-heritage inspired jeweler, I am trying to stay focused on my goals, keeping positive about my dreams whilst dealing with local market issues.
Photo credits: George Hatzakos (Vice Versa)
Find more about Polina Sapouna Ellis jewelry here: http://www.polinasapounaellis.com/
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