Sohan Maria Spinthouraki was born in 1963, in Herakleion, Crete and was raised in Athens.
She studied interior decoration and graphic design in Greece (1982-1984) and commercial art
in London (1984-1986), where she worked for a year after completing her studies. Upon her
return to Greece in 1987, she worked in advertising agencies and then went on to set up
her own creative studio, working in this field for a total of fifteen years.

Reaching her forties, she decided to study alternative and holistic therapies (aromatherapy,
herbal therapy, nutrition, Chinese medicine), pursuing her need to be creative while focusing
on human needs. She also became involved in the making of personalised cosmetics and perfumes.

During the same time she began travelling to remote destinations wishing to expand her knowledge
of other cultures and their people: South America, Africa, India, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Bali...
It was during these trips that she started collecting beads made in Europe from as early as
the 1700s until today, which had been taken to Africa and used there for centuries as an exchange unit
in various transactions. During this period, Sohan also started practicing Reiki, studied psychology
and worked as a volunteer with people with special needs. Since then, she has also been attending
spiritual development group sessions.

Wishing to make the best of the beads she had been collecting, she began making her first bracelets
and necklaces with African trade beads. To this end, she attended the International Bead and Beadwork
Conference in Istanbul in 2007 and a jewellery design seminar held by Dimitris Nikolaidis in Athens, in 2008.

Sohan is currently studying Core Energetics, which combines body psychotherapy with a spiritual
approach to everyday life. She also continues to give Reiki sessions and has recently embarked on
the field of active meditations. Above all, she continues travelling, on a constant quest for beads, which
will lead to new bracelets and necklaces.

Sohan’s jewellery can be viewed on this official site for her work and can be found at the Benaki Museum
Shop in Athens (Pireos Street Building), at Skoufa Gallery in Athens and Mykonos, the Aer Gallery on
Patmos, the Paremia shopping space on Paros, the Yria Ceramics & Interior Design - Paroikia Paros
and Le Cotecheri arts and crafts stores on Serifos and Sifnos.

Sohan lives and works between Athens, Paros and Amorgos, Greece.