Ourania, better known as Nia, grew up in Kalamazoo near Lake Michigan, but her relationship to water traces back to Antiparos, Greece, where her parents met and she has frequented. That island, and the sea surrounding it, live in her memory as something constant and quiet. The presence of water continues to shape her aesthetic instincts.
She is a senior at Michigan State University earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design. She draws from both the rigid and the raw, combining clean patterns with flowing shapes to tell a story that feels both grounded and alive. Beyond her primary field of study, she has cultivated a deep passion for ceramics and aspires to further delve into three-dimensional art forms following graduation. She approaches ceramics as a practice of reflection rather than performance. She rarely begins with a fixed outcome in mind. Instead, meaning reveals itself whilst making. This medium often understands what she is trying to say before she does.
Her vessels tend to swell. Full-bodied, open-lipped, generous in shape and gesture. There is an ease in their presence, though not without structure. Her process asks for attention, for humility. At the center of her practice is a desire to honor the material. She works intuitively, allowing form to emerge rather than controlling it too tightly. Clay has taught her to stay responsive. To listen and adjust. She remains mindful of ceramics as a finite resource: reclaiming clay and minimizing waste. This process is not rushed. The pieces are made to last.
She maintains university involvement through the Hellenic Student Association to cherish the familiarity of her heritage. She is often described as free-spirited and open-minded.
She is reachable via email at alexopo7@msu.edu for business inquiries.
