Eleni Maragaki is a visual artist born in Athens, Greece. She is currently based in north London. Her work involves the creation of fictional landscapes, approaching the idea of observing and mapping nature in an abstract and exploratory way. Eleni’s prints aim to present the immense non-organic flows of life that constitute the landscape, such as mountains and seas, in a less human-centred way. The absence of humans in her work attempts to present the environment in its pure state of wilderness and solitude.
Read below to find out more about Eleni’s own practice and her inspirations.
Spring Flowers Print A3 by Eleni Maragaki
What attracted you to your craft?
I am attracted to the medium of printmaking as it allows me to produce work with clarity of design and detail. I am future-oriented and printmaking which involves repetition, patience and manual work, allows me to enter a meditative state and focus on the present moment. This is connected to my interest in Greek philosophy and especially the idea of the ‘golden mean’ explained by Aristotle, as the importance of having balance in life.
What does your typical day look like?
I don’t have a typical day, as being an artist my routine changes constantly according to new projects I undertake. I find this element of variety one of the most interesting aspects of my profession!
Does your product have an environmental focus?
As an artist, I work with a commitment to sustainability, and I have considered ways to make my collection of digital prints as eco-friendly as possible. Digital printing is a far more sustainable option compared to analogue printing or traditional printmaking. It uses less energy, produces less waste and does not involve the use of toxic chemicals.
In addition, my choice of uncoated 100% recycled bright white paper has immense benefits for the environment, compared to coated virgin papers. It can be recycled again and yield a higher percentage of fibre saving resources and reducing the paper industry’s impact on the planet.
Seascape I Print A4 by Eleni Maragaki
What is the USP (unique selling point) for your products?
My products are unique because they combine handmade design characterised by a specific style, with sustainable digital reproduction, in order to make fine art financially accessible to a wider range of audiences.
Where do you find inspiration for designs?
My designs are inspired by a small village in Peloponnese, where my mother comes from. This remote part of Greece is full of interesting landscapes characterized by variety and fusion of different elements, including mountains, seas, and forests. I am interested in representing landscapes inspected from an elevated point of view. This domineering aerial viewpoint implies observation but also impression. It is a reference to ‘Chorography’, a type of mapmaking which stands between painting and geography, as it does not focus on the precise mathematical depiction relating to scale and location, but on the impression of how a particular region or terrain is perceived by the human eye. Such examples are Leonardo Da Vinci’s Chorographic maps of Tuscany and Valdichiana.
Do you have any favourite items in the collection?
I have an equal interest in all my designs as each of them is linked with memories I have in spending time in nature.
Mountains Print A4 by Eleni Maragaki
How would you summarise your collection in a few sentences?
My range of products is a collection of digitally reproduced linocut prints depicting landscapes in sizes A4 and A3. Through this collection, I aim to transcend to the audience the power of the natural, as a meeting point between cosmic order and disorder. I am inspired by Mediterranean nature and my landscapes lack the human presence, as they aim to transcend the feeling of wildness and solitude.
Does your work have a social impact?
I am interested in posing questions related to human expansion towards the natural environment and promoting sustainability through the use of eco-friendly materials.
What are your hopes for the future? Where would you like to take your design career?
I would be excited to explore affordable ways to incorporate my prints into everyday objects that can be mass-produced such as homeware, stationery, or jewellery. I find the merge of design and fine art intriguing.