LIVING

The material always comes first and then I think what can I do with it. Recycling is pretty much taken care of, so I tend to use factory waste these days. I went through a phase of collecting wood here then I realised that anything that’s thrown out is riddled with woodworm.

I am obsessed with nature and creatures. My friends call me ‘Darwin Wilding’ because whenever we go for walks in the countryside, I’m that person that spots mad things on tree trunks.

I have a long relationship with Barcelona. I’ve been back for three years, but I lived here 10 years ago for six years part-time. I work as a tutor at the Istituto Europeo di Design for six months and the other half of the year I spend in London, travelling or at my home in Crete.

Barcelona is definitely not a green city. It’s got a very good tonnage of recycled stuff, compared to, say, the UK, and they have fantastic fairs where you can bring toys for the kids and clothing. There’s lots of talk. But you judge a green city by the quality of the air, and in that respect, I would say Barcelona is probably more brown.

I’m currently working as a volunteer for Feedback Madagascar, a social and environmental charity. I’m hoping that in my role as artist, I can help artists and designers there to develop new tourism products using its unique biodiversity.

I went to an eco-forum and one of the speakers said, “Hands up anybody who hasn’t bought anything from Ikea.” Nobody raised their hand. I’ve got nothing against good design but a lot of the stuff produced by the multinationals has a very short shelf-life. However, they do allow people on normal incomes to furnish their homes, so I don’t know what the answer is.

I sell at galleries and exhibitions but I basically get commissions to do specific things. If you want to buy something from me, I charge a fortune because it takes me a very long time to do it. I am not going to give something away for €59.