AGGELOS KONSTANTAKATOS: Crafting the Unexpected: Mast(ε)r-Angelos on Art, Mechanics, and Mushrooms

by Niki Stylianou

Hello! In the address of your email, you refer to yourself as "mast(ε)r-Angelos." Would you like to tell us a few words about this? Who is the craftsman, who is the master, and who is the artist for you? Do these archetypes meet somewhere?

One of my earliest memories is being 5-6 years old and spending 15 days with my parents in a dark living room, waiting for an uncle of mine who knew how to change the light bulb of the ceiling fixture. I remember feeling very frustrated and promising myself that I would learn everything about craftsmanship so that I wouldn't have to depend on anyone. "Mastr-Angelos" was born out of necessity in an environment where no one had any connection to construction. Before entering adolescence, I used the first money I had gathered from relatives on birthdays to buy a drill! From that point on, I was more intrigued by how something was made rather than the thing itself. When I deconstructed and reconstructed it in my mind, I felt like I truly understood it. It no longer held my attention, and I moved on to the next challenge.

The more challenging it was for me to comprehend, the greater the satisfaction when I finally mastered it. Over time, as I gained knowledge of construction through hands-on work, I began to identify errors, suggest improvements in construction methods, and enhance aesthetics. My studies in Architecture greatly influenced my sense of aesthetics, and my experience in construction broadened my understanding of various techniques.

Now, I firmly believe that I have the ability to bring to life whatever I can imagine. What intrigues me the most is concealing complex techniques beneath simple, minimalist forms.

What was the most significant moment in your journey in the field of jewelry? I'm referring to the moment that transformed you, a moment where you had to pause and make a pivotal decision, the moment when you discovered something crucial.

I stumbled into the world of jewelry by chance in 2012. I was in search of a specific silver soldering technique and hoped to learn it at a silversmithing seminar. This fortuitous encounter with jewelry was driven by craftsmanship rather than aesthetics. My artistic background could have led me to explore a broad spectrum of jewelry styles, ranging from... to...

Some years ago, just as I had uncovered my technique for crafting mushrooms, an opportunity arose for me to participate in a more commercial exhibition featuring Greek designers. It was at this juncture that I took a moment to carefully contemplate what truly resonated with me. I sought a piece of jewelry that not only showcased design but also served as a signature item, capable of being replicated in ordered pieces, or a unique creation that embodied a piece of my soul. I concluded that my overarching philosophy centered around uniqueness, handmade craftsmanship, and artistic expression. Thus, I embraced the challenging path of infusing a bit of soul, effort, and passion into each piece of jewelry that leaves my hands, ensuring that I can perceive it as a manifestation of my own creativity.

Can the process of a project from idea to execution be seen symbolically as linear? How do you view this process, and which stage of it interests you the most?

I wouldn't describe it as linear. It's more akin to haggling the price for a gift or coaxing a pen to write. This journey involves so many back-and-forth and up-and-down movements that it's easy to lose your way. It certainly doesn't have a clear-cut beginning and end. I say it lacks a beginning because I start one task, only to remember something else along the way, leading me to work on something entirely different, tidy up the workspace, return to the initial task, have a brilliant idea, abandon everything, and turn that spark into reality. I say it lacks an end because often, I revisit completed pieces to add, remove, or change elements due to dissatisfaction or improved techniques.

What I find truly enjoyable in this process is devising something clever, refining a sequence of steps, or uncovering a material property or a new technique, a new process.

Your work reflects a person with passion, dedication, patience, persistence, and a love for exploration. At times, we see you inspired by observation and experimentation, and at other times by the material itself. What motivates you and unleashes your creativity each time?

I'm uncertain about the impression my work may convey. Nonetheless, I am certain that I possess a passion for tools, a deep appreciation for craftsmanship, and that all the elements you mentioned are crucial for me to take pride in something crafted by my hands. There are occasions when I find it challenging to part with a piece of jewelry I've created for two reasons: either I know it cannot be replicated due to its accidental creation, or I have linked it to a discovery, a decision, or a significant event. When I have a clear understanding of how my creation came to be, I feel serene, self-assured, and can let it go. I may not recreate an identical piece, but it is important for me to know that I have the capability to do so.

Observation and experimentation always center around a material. What intrigues and captivates me is the element of surprise. It is the unforeseen occurrences that I didn't anticipate or know would happen. This is when my mind races, and I find myself in a different world...

Do you think that jewelry as a means of self-expression is of limited scope? Can it stand in the realm of art or applied arts? Can it be a means of livelihood? What do you find in this?

I believe that contemporary art jewelry has a challenging path ahead to secure the recognition it deserves. It certainly belongs to the realm of art and applied arts. However, it resides in a closed space where the guardians, after many years of a steady course, are either unable or unwilling to embrace new concepts. They are fatigued from what they have learned over the years about what art is, their minds are stagnant, and they struggle to accept new entries.

I don't foresee it becoming a means of livelihood in the immediate future. The general public is not yet mature enough to pay for art simply because it is beautiful or has something to say. The fact that there are collectors who purchase does not signify much. Instead of investing in art jewelry, they could collect matchboxes of double height or paintings of horses. Only when an ordinary, modern, cultured person appreciates this art and is willing to pay for it out of their surplus (reducing trips to the cinema or theater or dining out), because they are represented by the artist's philosophy or moved by the piece, only then, in my opinion, can art jewelry become a means of livelihood.

What are you working on these days?

Lately, I've been trying to find a balance - a direction... Taking a break from the mushrooms, I have been searching for a versatile material that I could combine - integrate with the mushrooms due to their irregular morphology. Through this process, I stumbled upon another technique - aesthetic. An auxiliary - secondary material that I use for processing the mushrooms has been upgraded to a leading role with many possibilities for development!

At the same time, due to my work as an Architect - lighting designer, I have been using 3D design programs daily for years. Although I don't enjoy designing and printing the final piece of jewelry exactly as I see it on the screen (because I believe that in a few years, most jewelry will have this type of design), I am still fascinated by blending the 3D approach with my own techniques. I am in an experimental phase...

Your participation in JELO6 in February 2024 brought you the AUTOR fair award. How do you view this award, the various festivals in our field, and the outward focus necessitated by the times, new technologies, and the need for sharing?

My participation in JELO6 was not planned. It emerged, fortunately, like all the beautiful things that happen to me in the field of jewelry. Beyond that, the AUTOR award holds significant meaning for me as it reaffirms my approach to jewelry. It encourages me to showcase more than what I create.

The outward focus does not define me wrongly because it's not only the times that compel us to adopt it. It's also the logic that suggests our era, with so many social media platforms, presents the greatest opportunity for contemporary art jewelry to become known and flourish on a different basis. A basis that is more everyday, human, social, cultural, and not solely elite or collectible.

How do all these align with the introverted archetype of the artist and the need for authenticity?

For me, the artist must have two pairs of eyes. With one pair, they should only focus on their art, as if nothing else exists in the world. These eyes see their soul, emotions, experiences, and dreams. With the other pair of eyes, they should see everything happening around them: in the artistic world in general, in politics, in art jewelry exhibitions. When wearing these eyes, they should showcase, speak about their work, observe others, exchange views on aesthetics, materials, tools, places, and methods.

What are your plans for the future?

I have a pile of small, medium, and large pieces of paper with "to do" lists. Experiments with various materials, trials with some modifications that have come to me as a flash at an unexpected moment, which tools to buy, which tools to modify... In reality, however, I would like to take a bag and throw away all these things that keep me in a known, stable, and predictable order. I would like to rid myself of any design I have made, take a big white cardboard, spread it out, clean, pristine, pure... And finally start composing to create jewelry.

I hope that in the future we’ll have the chance to continue with our discussion and get to know you a little better. Until then, please share something with us. A piece of advice, a quote, something you believe would help us continue creating regardless of gender, age, or trends.

I would be delighted to continue the discussion. For now, a phrase from a philosopher has stayed in my mind, simple, optimistic, but also anxiety-inducing at the same time:

"There are 3 primary colors, 10 numbers, and 7 notes. What you do with them depends on you!"