Woodcarving artist Fiona Gazepis has been captivated by the sacred beauty of wood since childhood where according to her mother at age 3 she hammered a piece of wood into the kitchen floor!
Since 2016 she has been working with wood, self taught, in one of the oldest art forms, with the earliest known carvings dating back to prehistoric times where they were used to decorate furniture, tombs, and temples, and to tell stories and preserve beliefs. Its presence in Greece is particularly noteworthy. Unfortunately, much of this Greek wooden artistry, along with that of other ancient lands, survives only through the writings of figures like Pausanias and other classical authors. These accounts tell us that numerous wooden images of the gods were preserved in Greece well into later historical periods. Even the famed Palladium, the sacred image of Pallas—guarded by the Vestal Virgins in Rome and believed to have been brought by Aeneas from burning Troy—was itself a wooden figure, highlighting the significance of this medium in even the most revered objects.
Greek City Times had a brief chat with Fiona about her work, inspiration and Greece from her Darlinghurst Gallery in Sydney, Australia.
Why "Sappho" as the name of your brand?
Well firstly, Sappho is my birth name, named after my grandmother. As a child from migrant parents in the 60’s, teachers advised my parents against enrolling me with my true name (as was the norm of the period), thus, Fiona was born. Sappho was the most famous female lyric poet in antiquity between 630-570 BC, born on the island of Lesvos, where my mother was also born. Lesvos is also prolific in olive trees so given olive wood is my favourite wood to work with, it connected me deeply with the island of Lesvos.
Inspired by the passion and creativity of Sappho coupled with her love for family which I saw reflected in myself, and for all of the above reasons, it was natural and befitting to be Sappho Designs.
How did your journey into art commence?
It's been a constantly evolving journey. According to my mother, it started at age 3 when I hammered a piece of wood into the kitchen floor hahaha.
My love for art dates back to my childhood. I chose art as an elective in high school and was awarded 1st prize in the HSC for my major work which ironically was a mixed media painting of trees.
As a teenager, I was primarily influenced by my uncle Nick in Athens. He was not only a renowned architect, but also a renowned artist, interior designer and published poet. He was my mentor who always encouraged me to pursue my creativity and visualise all things on a deeper level. Everything you see in life can be interpreted as art if one has the capacity to look on that level.
I was also heavily influenced by my father who was a motor mechanic. He had a brilliant mechanical mind who always found a creative design solution to mechanical problems. The combination of creativity and art from my father’s brother, together with the mechanical and technical influence of my father, helped shape where I am today. I love creating and constructing.
I was always fascinated with the natural beauty of wood. The beauty always lies beneath the surface. I needed to get beneath that surface to see what’s there. My wood turning journey started in 2016 on the Greek island of Andros. I set up a little studio where I escaped to during the Greek Summer months, primarily turning olive wood that was usually over 100 years old. To me, wood is alive even when it’s reach its end of life. I love bringing fallen dead wood back to life through art.
I purchased my first wood lathe in Greece and just started to create, so I'm self taught. For the rest of the year I work from my studio in Darlinghurst, Sydney.
For me, the beauty of wood is in its imperfections. Each piece is unique and different- just like people. This inspires me every day.
With society moving into the virtual eg virtual art, virtual work, virtual relationships, how important is it for you to work within the physical world? The tactile world?
The real physical world is a critical element for me. It keeps me firmly planted (pardon the pun), to the ground. As you mentioned, with the world becoming virtual and artificial, it’s important we retain real and tangible elements in life. I do this through my art. Just like the roots of a tree represent strength and foundation, that’s what I aim to reflect in my art. The virtual world is where I choose to dream and imagine and my studio is where I create reality with the textures I touch and the smell of the beautiful scent of the wood. I can’t explain what it’s like when I cut through olive wood, or camphor, mango wood and various eucalyptus wood. It’s truly intoxicating. It's a love affair between the two.
What are your thoughts of the 'virtual ?
The virtual has its place where you can take designs to an endless level. I see virtual as a concept. For me, it’s important to be able to separate virtual from reality. Creativity is the art of observation - learning how to look and how to truly see, but I love coming back to earth where reality happens.
Nothing more beautiful than being able to touch smell and feel.
(I'd rather smell and eat my souvlaki than watch it on a virtual screen..hahaha.)
Your medium is wood predominantly - why did you choose to work with it? How long have you worked with wood and what other mediums do you work with?
My woodturning journey started in 2016. I’m self taught.
Wood is unique by nature and I'm drawn to this. Each piece is so different in shape, grain, colour and smell. The wood I work with is from fallen trees or trees that have come to the end of their life. I see art in every piece and breathe new life into it by transforming it into decorative pieces ( saving it from the burn pile) using expoxy resin in certain pieces which I colour with various pigments. I also like to incorporate copper wire in some of my pieces and mix different species of wood together to form visually interesting art.
Do you believe art should have a utility or just be decorative?
Definitely both. The decorative symbolises the virtual, whereby you can lose yourself in its beauty of shape and colour. The utility symbolises its function. I produce both. Some pieces are purely decorative and some are both decorative and functional such as charcuterie boards, vases, decorative lidded boxes or just purely for aesthetic purposes. I particularly love creating ornamental, fun pieces for Easter and Christmas.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
Trees and their beautiful shapes and grain inspire me. I can stare at a piece of wood for hours imagining all the things I can create with it. This is my virtual journey. Then the light bulb moment appears and the tactile begins when I begin to transform its shape and form with fluid shapes and colours.
Do your travels to Greece provide any inspiration? What are your thoughts of the art scene in Greece - perhaps in areas similar to yours.
Yes definitely. Art is everywhere in Greece from the perfect to the imperfect. I was greatly inspired by the unique shapes of the trunks of olive trees that were hundreds and sometimes thousands of years old. I thought..”how could something so old be this beautiful”. The older the tree, the more beauty in the grain pattern just like people. As we age, the lines on our face tell so many stories. I find this so interesting. With age comes wisdom and beauty. I see this beauty every time I travel to Greece.
The Greek art scene is so rich. There is the Greek architecture, the fluid or structured shapes, the partly standing Acropolis which was a vision in its day and still retains beauty in ruin. Where does one start or even finish? The beautiful statues bringing to life rich history. The art of theatre, music and street culture. It encapsulates and enlivens all the senses.. and let’s not forget the food - food which today is art in itself on a plate.
ABOUT FIONA GAZEPIS
“One good turn deserves another: the artisanal approach to transforming wood into functional art”
That’s a mantra that Fiona Gazepis, of Sappho Designs, literally lives by with her avocation turned vocation of being an artisan wood turner and designer.
Using only sustainable and responsibly sourced timber, Fiona takes pride in creating a variety of one off pieces that work in any space.
“The beauty is in the imperfection”.
Fiona was born and raised in Earlwood in Sydney Australia. Why “Sappho”? That is the name given to her at birth but being a child of Greek migrants in the 1960’s, parents were encouraged to Anglicise her name, hence she’s been known by the name of “Fiona”. Reverting to her birth name for her studio was in honour of her Mother’s Island - the stunning island of Lesvos and the island famous for her beloved trees - olive trees, aka - olive wood. Lesvos is also the birthplace of female famous poet Sappho (c. 630 – c. 570 BC) so there are so many synergies. Fiona’s time is spent between her home in Andros Island, Greece and her studio in Darlinghurst.
From a very young age, she showed an avid interest in wood. She was often seen nailing bits and pieces of wood together to form different shapes, sometimes even into the kitchen floor, much to her mother’s chagrin.
Often travelling to Greece and marvelling in the beauty of the thousands of olive trees, it wasn’t until she established her home in Andros with all its olive trees, that her love for wood took a new turn after seeing the beauty which lay within the fallen trunks. She was going to turn it. She was going to explore the many shapes and fluid lines that can be borne from a clump of wood - a clump of wood which to most was a dead block used as firewood but to Fiona, a clump of art which she could breathe back to life.
She then began experimenting with adding other mediums to her wood, such as resin, copper and even pine cones. The possibilities to Fiona are endless. When not in Greece, she’s most often than not in her studio creating. Shapes, colours, textures and passion. She finds inspiration in everything.
Sappho’s Studio is found at 222 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst Sydney Australia.
For all enquires, special order requests or custom pieces, contact Fiona at:
fiona@sappho-designs.com
Or direct message on Instagram @sappho_designs
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