What led you to return to this craft?
Evangelos: Each of us decided to start this craft for our own reasons, we were fortunate that our timing matched. For me, after working as an illustrator and graphic designer, I felt it was time to take the next step: starting to turn my designs into real, useful objects.
What was the first object made at the Animi Wood Workshop?
It was the decorative stacking puzzle of the Cretan figure, the first in a series of puzzles inspired by Greek history. The series evolved into children's toys with other sizes and appropriate specifications. Our goal is to enrich the series with new designs and figures from around the world.
©Animi WoodWorkshop
Is the links to your region significant in your craft?
The place where we live, work and create, Crete, has a very long tradition and history in the arts since ancient times. Inspired by that – and by Greek culture in general – our work has a strong Greek element and design line.
What is Animi’s signature toy?
We are very good at making puzzles and especially stacking puzzles – even with quite complex pieces – paying attention to the part of their joints. It is very common not to notice at first glance that one of our creations is a puzzle and to see it as a single object.