Art of Olive Wood
Kostas Avlonitis was born and raised in North Corfu. He works with olive wood and olive roots to create magnificent works of art. It's a craft that requires time and patience, as the olive wood has to dry for about three years before it can be sculpted. Especially the roots of the great corfiot olive trees are as hard as metal and are very difficult to work on. On the other hand, any object made from this beautiful material is almost everlasting.
Kostas uses mostly the winter time to create his sculptures and the range of things he makes is astonishing. Starting with forks, spoons, chandeliers and little playthings and going up to vases, bowls, bottle holders, mirrors. ornamental sculptures and many more.
The workshop is situated in a beautiful setting, in the middle of the family olive grove in Armenades, right next to his source of raw material. The peace and tranquility of the place are in perfect harmony with the traditional stone building that serves as an atelier. If you are lucky you may find him there, working patiently to transform a piece of wood or root into something even more beautiful and useful. There is also a larger exhibition space in Perithia, on the coastal road between Acharavi and Kassiopi, where more artifacts are showcased.
For more photos you can visit the Art of Olive wood website and you can contact Kostas on 26630 51596.
