For Greek/British artist and illustrator Ornella Xarikleia Akrivopoulou, creativity begins not with a finished idea but with curiosity and experimentation. Her project Collagraphy to Clay traces the intuitive process behind her work, showing how simple materials and playful exploration can evolve into unexpected forms.
Based in Thessaloniki, Akrivopoulou approaches making as a dialogue with materials. Rather than forcing an idea into a predetermined shape, she allows the properties of each medium to guide the direction of the work.
“My ideas are born from the play of materials,” she explains. “Taking the time to have a silent conversation with my medium is, for me, the core of creativity.”
The project began with a simple experiment: gluing expired rice onto cardboard to create a collagraph printing plate. The textured surface was inked and printed, producing a tactile image that became the starting point for further transformation.
From there, the process continued through several stages. The print was digitally reworked into a collage, which then informed the development of a sculptural clay tile. Each stage built upon the previous one, demonstrating how a playful gesture can evolve into something more structured without losing the spontaneity of its origin.
The resulting clay tile, inspired by the original collagraph texture, now hangs on the artist’s wall as a reminder of where the process began.
For Akrivopoulou, sharing this process is just as important as the finished artwork. She sees play as a vital part of creativity that is often lost through education and professional expectations.
“I wanted to share my process because I see how the freedom of play gets taught out of us,” she says. “Many creatives struggle to find their way back to that space.”
Her advice is simple: embrace the mess and follow curiosity. “Find your inner child creativity by approaching your materials with warmth and curiosity,” she says. “Stale rice and scraps of cardboard might just lead you somewhere unexpected.”
Ornella Xarikleia Akrivopoulou is a freelance artist, illustrator and creativity mentor whose work is deeply process-led and rooted in experimentation. She holds a Foundation Degree in Art and Design from MET College UK and studied Illustration and Printmaking at the University of the Arts in the United States.
Akrivopoulou is also a certified Messy Clay Play Facilitator and has taught screenprinting workshops at college level, worked as an elementary art teacher and now runs workshops and mentoring sessions focused on helping others reconnect with creative play.
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