Image: Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

Aristotelis Barakos, with many years of experience and studies in design, has been creating the last couple of years unique objects that draw attention in Greece and abroad, through Studio Aristotelis Barakos. Aiming to craft honest products that please the individual, the designer uses local materials like marble, wicker and wood, and, experimenting with them by hand, manages to shape timeless minimal forms that exude tranquillity, fragility and -undoubtedly- the Greek spirit. Consecutive collaborations with companies, artisans and constructors have played an important part in the development of the studio. This development was surely a demanding process given the pandemic but against all odds, Aristotelis Barakos created, among other things, small objects of limited production with his distinctive style.

Image: Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

The exhibition-celebration for the studio’s two-year anniversary «Against All Odds: Open Studio Aristotelis Barakos» took place in the centre of Athens on the 27th, 28th and 29th of May, in an Athens modernist apartment building. A neighbouring apartment with bold industrial elements, a rusty aesthetic and green hues on the walls, in addition to the elegant studio in white hues, was also used for the needs of the exhibition. However, the curation is such that the background clashes with the designer’s polished objects, which are showcased further by the studied lighting. It’s worth noting that some furniture pieces needed for the exhibition were made from objects found in the empty apartment, like the radiators.

Théros. Image: Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

The atmosphere of the opening was friendly, with groups of friends reconnecting after quite some time, others making new acquaintances as well as professionals of the field and design students that all came to see in person the creations and the process of creating them. The Théros family of objects held the central position in the exhibition, these lamps with the straw hats, which were included in the Greek collection of Adorno. It was a unique opportunity to see the new members of the “family”, the ribbed ceramic versions created by Giannis Zois from red clay, almost “capturing” the mediterranean landscape. The presentation of all objects as a luminous installation, made it easy to perceive the great variety. Another object that intrigued us is the Sermon candlestick, which consists of this strict geometry and a single material, brass, elements inspired by Brutalism.

Sermon candleholder. Image: Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

Bonbon armchair. Image: Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

We were positively surprised by the comfortable and exuberant cocktail armchair of the Bonbon collection with pink velvet fabric, made for the Gousdovas Upholstery Workshop. Finally, we were fascinated by works we had not seen before, among them the wall lamp Taco de Luz. This is a special creation, with a sheet of copper metal bent by hand, to "embrace" a linear lamp, giving the space where it is placed an interesting design, even when it’s not lit. In fact, the exhibition presented a new, larger version of the lamp (Taco Grande) that hangs from the ceiling, and can give an interesting note over a dining room.

Taco de Luz. Image: Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

Taco Grande. Image: Giorgos Vitsaropoulos

Studio Aristotelis Barakos is a very promising endeavour, with a distinct design vocabulary that makes the brand recognizable. We look forward to seeing his new creations in the near future!

aristotelisbarakos.com