Sophie Ambelas

Sophie Ambelas’ work embodies a sense of fluidity. Deeply rooted in her Greek heritage, her practice draws inspiration from the layers of history, culture, and identity that shape humanity.

In the series The Amphora Era, she explores the intersection of ancient and futuristic expressions, blending classical forms with contemporary abstraction. Sophie uses layering as both a visual and conceptual tool—each layer representing a different era, emotion, or cultural imprint. These layers often conflict or clash, just as histories and generations do.

Sophie approaches ceramics in an unorthodox way, allowing the clay to follow its own path and memory. She frequently incorporate unexpected materials and finishes pieces with vibrant acrylic colours, pushing the traditional boundaries of the medium. In the ‘Coral’ series of The Amphora Era, she uses sea sponges from her cultural home, Greece, as part of the details. As the sponge burns away in the firing process they leave behind the intricate channels - echoes of what once existed, now reborn in another form. The result is work that is not static but living—imbued with movement, transformation, and evocative. 

Each amphora is a reflection of the continuous negotiation between past and future, tradition and innovation, rupture and continuity. They speak to who we are, and who we are becoming.

  • An Ethnography, Eyes Wide Open – 2021

  • 1000 Vases, Paris – April 2022

  • The Wild Collective, Thrown Contemporary Art Gallery – May 2022

  • Atelier Brighton Gallery – July to September 2022

  • Winter Exhibition, Thrown Contemporary Art Gallery – November 2022 to January 2023

  • A Glorious Journey, Gallery Different – March 2023

  • Atelier Brighton Gallery – July to September 2023

  • Home – ArtCan Exhibition – October 2023

  • London Potters Annual Members Exhibition – November 2023

  • Southwark Park Galleries Annual Exhibition – November 2023

  • Exploring Loss & Grief Through Art, Willesden Gallery – January 2024

  • Ablegraphy, Nosakhari, London Fashion Week – February 2024

  • Future Icons Selects, London Craft Week – May 2024

  • Wunderkammer, 54 The Gallery Mayfair – May 2024

  • Morley Gallery, London Potters Exhibition – November 2024

  • Strands Exhibition, Painting Progress – May 2025

  • Hepworth Wakefield Ceramic Fair – June 2025

  • ArtCan Exhibition - July 2025

  • Potfest Suffolk Ceramic Fair – August 2025

  • Morley Gallery, London Potters Exhibition – November 2025

  • Handmade Chelsea - November 2025

  • Painting Progress, Espacio Gallery - March 2026

Sophie is a selected member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen and recommended by The Michelangelo Foundation on the Homo Faber Guide.