Panos Valsamakis was born in Ayvalık (Kydonies), Asia Minor, in 1900. In 1922, he settled with his family in Athens, where he passed away in 1986, leaving behind a remarkable artistic legacy as the founder of modern fine art ceramics in Greece.
He studied painting at the École des Beaux-Arts in Marseille and ceramics at the Saint-Jean du Desert school between 1923 and 1930, gaining profound knowledge and specialization in the ceramic arts.
Upon returning to Greece, he directed the ‘Kerameikos’ Artistic Workshop from 1930 until 1942, when it was requisitioned by German troops and ceased operations. From 1942 to 1957, he served as the artistic director of the AKEL S.A. ceramics factory in Laurium, owned by the National Bank of Greece; after 1957, he worked exclusively in his private workshop in Marousi.
His interests extended to other fields, including journalism, writing, and book illustration, such as Aliki Telloglou’s ‘Love Fiarytales’ (1980).
He presented his work in solo and group exhibitions in Greece and abroad (Belgium, France, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Canada, Japan), in Panhellenic exhibitions, International Ceramics Exhibitions, and more. In 1982, the National Gallery organized a retrospective exhibition of his work.
He was honored with prestigious awards: the Gold Medal at the Exposition Nationale du Travail in Brussels (1930), the Silver Medal at the Exposition Internationale des Arts et des Techniques in Paris (1937), the Bronze Medal at the 1st Panhellenic Exhibition in Athens (1938), and the Golden Cross of the Order of George I for his artistic contribution (1965).