Along the twisty road, interspersed with ancient hollowed out olive trees, lies the quaint village of Achillieon. Tucked amongst the crumbled stone ruins, you’ll find Tusami Ceramics. It’s soft pink exterior is a perfect backdrop for the lovely hand painted bowls featuring Lemons, Red Poppies and colorful florals. Once inside, you’ll experience an extensive variety of functional and sculptural pottery.
We are greeted by the owner Lula and her husband. She graciously invites us back to see her working studio. Shelves are loaded with pottery in various stages of completion as she explains how she prepares for tourist season. Her clients include many of the local hotels and restaurants on the island, which requires custom dishes made exclusively for them. Lula has been creating ceramics since 1980, and despite some language barriers, it is clear Lula’s passion and creativity remain.
Her meticulously hand painted earthenware and stoneware bowls, made from clay sourced in Germany, are adorned with brightly colored flowers and village scenes which are arranged in collections in the store out front. I ask her about the beautiful matte and glossy glazed plates. She described how she dresses in a full coverall including a mask to glaze and splatter each individual plate outside.
Lula’s tired but cheerful demeanor is a testament to her pursuit of excellence and love for her art. I thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the people of Corfu and the exquisite pottery they create.
