"Be Earth no More" by Myrto Papadopoulou

Text: Knut Werner Lindeberg Alsén

Today I had the pleasure of visiting ARCH Athens and experiencing the current exhibition Be Earth no More by Myrto Papadopoulou.

Myrto is a dear friend, and I want to wholeheartedly congratulate her on this powerful body of work—and thank her for the opportunity to encounter her ceramics in this setting.

Form enters Myrto's practice through the whirling movements of her hands, gestures rooted in the archetypal motions of the potter. The idea that "clay remembers" is vividly present in her surfaces: some calm and smooth, others shaped by twists and urgent motions that subtly echo the harmony of Cycladic vessels, while remaining unmistakably her own.

Through layered slips and glazes, she creates ambiguous, shifting textures that feel drawn from mountains, rivers, rain, and the sea floor. Her vessels open up new imaginative viewpoints, revealing quiet details and hidden facets. They seem to hold both formation and dissolution at once—as if suspended in the moment just before becoming a finished, signed work.

With a BA in Ceramics from Stoke-on-Trent and an MA from Wolverhampton University, and over eight years of experience as both artist and educator, Myrto's practice stands out for its sensitive balance between tradition and innovation.

I'm deeply moved by this exhibition and proud to see her work continue to grow, transform, and resonate so strongly.

About ARCH

ARCH is an independent, non-profit arts organization, which is privately funded. 

ARCH provides opportunities for professionals in the contemporary visual arts to develop their practice, explore connections and build collaborations with colleagues, communities and institutions in Athens through its exhibition and residency programs. 

ARCH supports and facilitates the professional development of cultural practitioners at all levels of their careers.

The space is located near the Arch of Hadrian in Plaka and includes an exhibition space, a studio and workshop area, resident living quarters and a public library.