Maria Stella Lydaki
Maria Stella is a London-based multidisciplinary artist, born in 1996 and of Greek origin. She graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design from the Jewellery Linking Bodies department in 2022. Her creative practice encompasses sculptures, performances, public interventions, photography, art-video installations, writing, and publications. As an artist, she explores the ancient ritual of lamentation within contemporary art, the use of language as a material, the interplay between inner and outer realms, the contrast of dark and light, the concept of gentleness, cultural and natural preservation, the world soul, and the power of fairytales.
Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. This includes showings at Munich Jewellery Week in 2023 (Munich, Germany), OBSESSED! Jewellery Festival in 2023 and 2019 (Amsterdam, Netherlands), St Augustine's Tower Hackney in 2024 (London, UK), Fashion For Good in 2023 (Amsterdam, Netherlands), London Craft Week in 2023 (London, UK), Huygens' Hofwijck in 2022 (Voorburg, Netherlands), and Cluster Photography & Print Fair in 2022 (Oxo Tower, London, UK).
Lingering Longing is an interactive installation that researches the language of longing. This work began during the COVID-19 lockdown when I read the last oracle of Delphi. As Emperor Theodosius issued to close all pagan temples in 394 BC, the oracle proclaimed:
“Tell ye King: the carven hall is fallen in decay; Apollo hath no chapel left, no prophesying bay, No talking spring. The stream is dry and had so much to say.”
The idea of the dry stream, and being 'locked' inside our homes, made me think about how this oracle is still relevant today. This sculpture takes the form of an endless chain, linking one longing to the next. Each link is a fragmented expression of longing, like a glyph from a forgotten language. Viewers can rearrange these fragments, exploring their forms, textures, and potential connections. This interaction invites them into a shared exploration of individual and collective longing. Like Pythia channeling ancient wisdom, these
fragments offer a contemporary reflection on this timeless human experience.
Project Gallery
