Kontaki design at May Design Series 2015

Running from 17th to 19th May 2015 at ExCeL London, May Design Series is organized for a third year. May Design Series is the most commercially focused interiors trade event in the UK with British and international brands from over 20 countries participating in it. Among the exhibitors and in STAND A126 you will find Kontaki Design a newly established Greek company that exclusively designs and produces handcrafted objects and furniture.

Spyros Kontakis with the Bottlefly, Mary photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

Chairman In Crisis, photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

Baby Popeye, photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

According to our notebooks, we know about Kontaki Design since 2011 when the mastermind behind the studio, Spyros Kontakis presented his creations at ERSI Gallery in an exhibition under the title 'MAN'. Unfortunately, back then we did not manage to dedicate a post about the talented man Spyros is and four years later we have certainly something to say - better late than never! - about the boost he made in his domestic and international career.

Baby Popeye, photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

J-Pop, photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

Spyros Kontakis worked for 20 years as a musician and more specifically as a guitarist, counting several collaborations with Greek artists. In one of the innumerable interviews we read that he felt a discomfort by the lack of producing his own music and expressing himself so the best he could do was to cap off his career as a musician. A new chapter opens and he does not regret it at all. Kontaki Design is the mean to channel his creative energy and promote his philosophy. Kontaki Design conceives the object as a piece of art without losing its functional purpose. The team of the studio does not produce in mass, on the contrary each piece is unique and only a limited number of copies are produced with the finest material.

Charmchair, photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

Man, photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

Soft Dough, photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

The originality of the items he produces and his spontaneous personality draws the attention of some famous French gallerists. He is asked to present his objects in France and one of them buys the conical tea set. The set is presented to the chairperson of the FIGHT AIDS MONACO, HSH Princess Stephanie, who sets the item to the 2012 auction sale, an event organized annually with all benefits used to raise AIDS public awareness.

Conical tea set, photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

URL (you are lying), photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

My 7th grade teacher, photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

Over the following years, Spyros Kontakis exhibits at the renowned ATHENS DESIGN PLAZA, at the gallery of the boutique hotel FRESH and at the Helene Nougaro Galerie in Paris (October 2014 to January 2015). The truth is that the items created by Kontakis tend to escape from the rigid design rules and forms.

Natalie, photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

KonTalos, photo credit: Petros Avtzis courtesy: kontaki design

The designer confesses that "the art in furniture manufacturing is lost". His attempt is to create objects with character, quality and aesthetics. Objects that exude the designer's personality and suit in a magic way with that of the owner's.