Greek Folk Art & Design: Stories, Symbols and Inspiration

Discover the stories, symbols and meaning of Greek folk art. Enjoy reading stories about Ariadne's discoveries from museum archives and how she transforms heritage patterns into modern creations.

Martaki, Not Just Red and White
Every March in Greece, people wear a simple thread bracelet called the Martaki—literally translating to “little March.” Traditionally made out of twisting red and white linen threads, the Martaki is... Read more...
Featured - Interview by Human Stories
I was recently interviewed by Humanstories.gr and because the piece was published in Greek, I’m sharing an English translation below. You can find the original article here. Ariadne Kritonos: A... Read more...
Giving Back: Supporting Three Greek Cultural Charities
At the heart of my work lies a simple but powerful belief — that tradition isn’t something to be preserved behind glass, but something to be lived, shared and reimagined.Every... Read more...
Costume Vs Garment - Describing Traditional Folk Attire
“Costume” is the word you’ll find again and again online when searching for traditional Greek folk clothing.After years of researching Greek traditional clothes, I’ve realized how much this single word... Read more...
Code Blue: The story of a rare book
Today, I want to share with you the story of how I tracked down a rare book that unlocked the history behind the traditional garment of Lesvos - my inspiration... Read more...
Code Blue: A Garment from Lesvos
The traditional garment from Lesvos is called vrakousa Today, I want to share with you why I created the design that will be walking down the runway of the Blue Wrap... Read more...
Code Blue: A Unique Fashion Show
I am absolutely thrilled to finally share this project with you! A few months ago I was approached by the Partners for World Health (PWH) for a collaboration. For the... Read more...
Featured - Interview by CanvasRebel
I was very honored to have been asked to give an interview for CanvasRebel, and here it is for you to enjoy… Meet Ariadne Kritonos Alright – so today we’ve... Read more...
Folk Stories - Kyra Sarakosti - Lady Lent
Some traditions are so charming that I love keeping them. One of Greece’s most delightful yet lesser-known customs is the tradition of Kyra Sarakosti (Κυρά Σαρακοστή) or Lady Lent. This... Read more...
Inspiring Future Generations
Bringing Greek Folk Traditions to Life! People who know me well know that when I’m fully immersed in an art project, I tend to forget everything else—especially taking pictures! That’s... Read more...
Folk Stories - Visual Illusions
Today’s story is a little more personal, as it involves my visit to the MET museum's archives at the Antonio Ratti Textile Center. If you don’t already know I currently... Read more...
Folk Stories - Threads of Patience
Today, we will look at how meticulous Greek women were when creating their embroideries and most impressively how patient! In the image above you are looking at a pillow cover... Read more...
Folk Stories - Imperfectly Perfect
In this story we will look at how boldly confident Greek women of the 18th and 19th century were when creating their embroideries. So let’s start by taking a look... Read more...
Folk Stories - The Tulip
One of the most fascinating things for me when it comes to my work is searching for the symbolic meaning of the motifs I use in my designs. Greek folk... Read more...
Guide - 6 Places to visit in Greece for Folk Art
As a Greek folk art enthusiast and traditional dancer I have had the privilege to see many beautiful garments and pieces of embroidery over the years. But, finding Greek folk... Read more...
Tulip Flower Engulfed in Snake
Flower Engulfed in Snake… what an odd title for a piece of art, right? I had initially thought of naming it Snake or Fidi (which means snake in Greek) but... Read more...
Mesogeia Floral Design
Creating a new design is always a lengthy process for me. It could take from a couple of months to maybe even a year at some rare cases. My Mesogeia Floral... Read more...
Northern Star Design
Finding inspiring shapes and motifs from Greek folk embroidery is one of my passions and the Northern Star motif is one of my favorite finds. I stumbled upon it while... Read more...
Genitsaros and Boula Folk Masks
The Boules mask designs and pattern collection is a homage to two amazing Greek traditional masks used during the Carnival season at the infamous custom of “Boules” from Naousa in... Read more...
The Carnation Flower
When I first saw this little carnation hidden in this intricate embroidery from Crete, I just loved it! So simple, yet so beautiful. As my research in Cretan embroidery continued... Read more...
Folk Feathers
  I spotted this beautiful motif within an intricate overgarment from Northern Epirus. (The gold parts are actual gold thread!) I’ve since decided to call it Folk Feathers even though... Read more...
The "Korona" Belt
Many years ago I saw this beautiful belt from Thrace. It was such an unusual shape for a traditional belt. To me it looked like a tree - a tree... Read more...