Eleni Vernadaki studied ceramics at Hammersmith College of Art and Building in London (1957-1959). After returning to Greece in 1959, she opened a workshop in the center of Athens, later moving it in 1974 to a custom-built space in Kantza, designed by renowned architect Takis Zenetos. In 1961, she joined Art Group A, which aimed to promote art to a broader audience. From 1968 to 2015, Vernadaki ran the Athens Design Center (ADC), which she co-founded with her husband, Nikos Papadakis. The ADC became a central hub, displaying and promoting works that merged handmade ceramics with modern life. She was also a founding member and served as general secretary of the Modern Art Society (SYST). Her works were featured in solo and group exhibitions in Greece and internationally.
Over fifty years, Vernadaki produced hundreds of object-forms, significantly renewing the field of ceramics in Greece in the latter half of the 20th century. Her early work drew upon the local ceramic tradition and ancient Greek vase forms. Still, as her career progressed, she adopted a more dynamic modernist approach, incorporating elements of 20th-century ceramic “modernism” and “conceptual ceramics.” A consistent theme in her work was the exploration of the concept and boundaries of ceramic art, pushing the limits of what could be considered a handmade art object.
One of Vernadaki's major achievements was her ability to blur the lines between “high” and “minor” art and between utilitarian and non-utilitarian objects. Inspired by the studio ceramics movement, she rejected conventional forms and uses of ceramics, seeing it as an integral part of the visual arts. Her work was characterized by continuous technical, formal, and intellectual exploration, as she sought to redefine the relationship between material and form.
In addition to ceramics, Vernadaki expanded her artistic practice to include other mediums such as marble, wood, metal, and plastic. Her prolific output included innovative table-forms, experimental jewelry, and much more. She also created architectural ceramic installations for public and private buildings, collaborating with artists such as Yiannis Moralis, Panayiotis Tetsis, Michalis Katzourakis, and Dimitris Mytaras to translate their designs into ceramic compositions. Regardless of the scale of her projects, Vernadaki approached the artistic process as a unified intellectual and craft-driven endeavor, breaking free from conventional classifications within the arts.
