Cyprus added to international crafts platform

Cypriot craftsmanship has taken its place in the Homo Faber Guide, an online platform dedicated to showcasing local talent.

The island’s participation, starting with 15 artisans, was announced on Tuesday by the Cyprus Handicrafts Service of the Energy, Industry and Commerce Ministry.

Homo Faber Guide is a signature project developed by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, an international non-profit organisation based in Geneva.

The Michelangelo Foundation’s mission is to celebrate and preserve master craftsmanship. For this reason, it has created a European map of the most significant representatives in this field, with the aim of connecting all its protagonists: artisans, designers, gallery owners, art curators, collectors and enthusiasts of high-quality handmade pieces.

The online platform allows visitors to discover artisans and their masterpieces, explore museums and visit galleries and shops selling unique objects in cities across Europe.

Maria Anaxagorou, who heads the Cyprus Handicrafts Service, said that Cypriot artisans, museums, galleries and shops were selected in cooperation with Cyprus’ ambassador to the Michelangelo Foundation, Iosif Hadjikyriakos – director of the Phivos Stavrides Foundation-Larnaca Archives.

She said the addition to the digital platform was a great honour and that beyond promoting Cypriot artisans internationally, it gives the service and other bodies an opportunity to work with international organisations.

To begin with, 15 Cypriot artisans have been included: weavers Ioanna Louka and Julia Astraiou, Lefkara lacemaker Margarita Raouna, ceramicists Vasos Demetriou, Efthymios Symeou, Petros Stavrou and Yiorgos Georgiades, sculptor/ceramicist Elysia Athanatou, jeweller Markos Platrides, violin maker Stephanos Sultanian, woodworkers of Lovenlight and brothers Navid and Sahand Gholipour, shoemaker Andreas Kelpis and woodcarver Christodoulos Agridiotis. Also featured are the Levention Municipal Museum Nicosia and the Cyprus Handicrafts Centre.

The site and the app feature more than 700 artisans from across Europe. The site has three sections, ‘Discover’ which is dedicated to the discovery of European artisans, ateliers and manufacturers, ‘Visit’ which showcases European galleries, shops and museums and ‘Experience’ featuring courses, workshop tours and events you can participate in all over Europe.

Check out the Cyprus category at https://www.homofaberguide.com/intro?country=Cyprus