About Barbara Perrakis
I was born and raised in Piraeus, Greece. Repairing my mom’s ruined jewelry, designing clothes and reading comics were some of my first favorite hobbies.
When I grew up, I faced a dilemma: veterinary medicine or art? Art came first. I studied interior design and at the same time I took drawing courses. When I completed my studies, I worked in architectural offices and also as a freelancer. Then I worked in the field of graphic arts for 6 years. I also undertook jewelry studies around the same time. My professional career in the field of handmade jewelry began in 2000. Combining my love for animals with the desire to create, I started designing and creating the Miaou Niaou alternative jewelry collection. I moved to Aegina with my daughter, my dog and my cats and opened my art studio on the island center. The classic Miaou Niaou collection completed its successful early phase in 2012.
Today I live in my hometown. I am still active in the jewelry field, taking part in business and art exhibitions. The beloved Miaou Niaou collection is continuing on its course along with me, entering its second phase. To be continued…
Miaou Niaou Jewelry
The classic Miaou Niaou collection replaces standard forms with minimal or descriptive animal designs, lending a humorous and subversive spirit to jewelry making.
Cats, dogs and other favorite animals adorn necklaces, hang from earrings and rest on rings! The main metal used is copper, which brings designs to life with its oxidations’ color results. Copper is combined with silver, semiprecious stones and other – mainly natural – materials.
In the new Miaou Niaou era, classic figures – filled or hollow, bound to each other or with stones – are a field of experimentation: Parallelograms woven with strings, reminding us of looms; circles united just like our lives; triangles painted like the old-fashioned jerseys of our childhood.
The designer recounts abstract stories, playing with shapes, colors and materials.
Her inspiration comes from the past and the present, shadows and light, emptiness and emotions, harmony and contrasts.
// Check out this promo video above
