Elina Belou

Elina Belou (b. 1988) is a French ceramist, based between Athens and south of France.

The timeless shapes she is inspired by are part of a common memory of traditional pottery. Deeply inspired by her childhood in the Pyrenees mountains, she gleans and adds external elements gathered over time and places, which come into dialogue with the enamels and glazes. She has a quasi-anthropomorphic approach to the ceramics that she shapes, «dressing» them with porcelain jewellery, petals, rocks or grasses.

Elina grew up in the south of France, surrounded by nature. She moved to Brussels to study midwifery at HELB Erasme, before pursuing a master’s degree in photography at l’École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels de la Cambre. For many years, she worked as a photographer while also exploring ceramics on her own. She has lived in Finland, Portugal, Mexico, and finally Greece—places where she was able to learn traditional techniques and get inspired by diverse cultures.

In 2019, she decided to return to school to deepen her knowledge and professionalize her skills in ceramics. She has been accepted to the Maison de la Céramique de Dieulefit, where she will learn from ceramicists such as Anne Verdier, Xavier Duroselle, Denise Millet, Denise Penicaud and others. She obtained her ceramic diploma in 2020.

In June 2024, she had her first solo exhibition, showcasing only ceramics, at Arch Athens, a nonprofit art organization located in the historic center of Athens.