Raphael (Raphy) Karanikos is a ceramic artist and mosaicist based in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). He combines ancient craft with contemporary storytelling, using stone and clay to record modern life while drawing deep inspiration from his own heritage. Supported by an ISS Institute Fellowship in 2025, he travelled to Italy to study classical Roman mosaic techniques, blending those traditional methods with his background in ceramics.

This research led him to develop a custom slip-casting method for ceramic tesserae and expand his workspace into a dedicated mosaic manufacturing studio, establishing one of the only specialised spaces of its kind in Melbourne. This unique setup allows him to fuse historical structural layouts with a fresh, modern aesthetic.

His work has been exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria’s Melbourne Design Week, Craft Victoria, and internationally in Mexico and Belgium. Recent milestones include a major commission for Little Creatures Brewery (2025) and being named a finalist for the Shelley Simpson Ceramic Art Prize. In July and August 2026, Raphy will further expand his international practice through an upcoming artist residency at the Chicago Mosaic School.