From soil, water and fire

One of the things you should definitely do in Sifnos is go to a pottery workshop. Even if you don’t have room in your suitcases for pottery, even if you’ve seen a lot in your life, even if it doesn’t seem like anything special. Go. At least go to one!

There are 13 pottery workshops on the island, scattered in many settlements, carrying on the tradition and evolving it. Traditional forms and techniques, the art of the wheel, the Sifnian clay that makes the vessels fireproof, history, coexist with the new ideas, new materials, handmade colours, new forms, artistry and utility.

Whichever of the workshops you visit, you will be welcomed and happily talked to about their work. If you catch them “at work”, even better! Ask them about their family’s history and background, their relationship to their work, how many times they have to touch an object before it’s ready. The answers are sure to spark your interest and make you appreciate ceramics more!

Pottery, having a long tradition on the island, was a reason for its fame to reach the other side of the world and for the word “tsikalas” to be identified with the word “Sifnian”.  For this reason and for reasons you will discover there, one of the things you should definitely do on the island is to visit a traditional workshop!