Objects, Memory and Ritual: A Conversation with Deena Savva

In a quietly vibrant old building in the heart of the historical city of Larnaca, where coffee mingles with lino printing and bar nights turn into art exhibitions, Deena Savva has built a space with her husband Panayiotis Savva where memory, ritual, and creativity collide.

In this conversation, we explore her journey from graphic design to soul-led artistry, the female figures, ancestral stories, and Cypriot rhythms that inspire her. 

Helena: Tell us a little bit about your journey. What led you into design and eventually into creating souvenirs that feel more like soul objects?

Deena: I left Cyprus in 2003 to study art and design in Athens and returned in 2007 with a head full of ideas. I started working in a real estate firm as an in-house graphic designer, and while I learned a lot, the 9–5 life didn’t sit well with me. Creativity doesn’t work on a schedule. Even with a flexible boss, I was also running a bar with my partner at night. Eventually, I transitioned into freelancing and focused on branding. I love the process of building a story from scratch. Being able to get into a client’s head, translating vision into visual. In 2013, I did a master’s in graphic design. It was like pressing refresh on everything I knew. Then, during the pandemic, everything paused. That’s when things started to shift.

Helena: Is that how Sunmoon and the shop came to be?

Deena: Yes. When COVID hit and we were forced to close our bar (Barrel House) it actually gave us space to reassess. In 2021, just before Christmas holidays we found our current beautiful location* in the heart of the historical Larnaca, next to Saint Lazarus church. We immediately took one of the most crucial decisions we had ever made. We had to move on. So we closed our bar permanently and focused on services. We split the space: on the right side is my design studio, on the left side is my husband’s studio with alcohol and in the middle is where we meet! People started walking in, curious, asking if we were a gallery. Bit by bit, my part transformed into a souvenir shop but not the typical kind. It became a place for stories. Location: The old building known as "Apothikes Ayiou Lazarou" (St Lazarus Warehouses) in 1880 functioned as stables. The space was later converted into timber warehouses (1935) and served this purpose for many decades. In 2014 it was restored and renovated and so in 2021 we found the perfect place to land, research, create and develop our ideas.

Helena: Your pieces seem to hold fragments of Cypriot life, humor, nostalgia. How do you choose what to make?

Deena: It often starts intuitively. During lockdown, I started posting my art on Instagram. The Pierides Museum noticed and that opened a conversation, which later evolved into creating the Idol series. I’ve always archived my work, and two years after moving into our current space, I began bringing these pieces out. I noticed what resonated with people - their curiosity and their interpretations helped shape what came next. There’s one piece, “Ourania,” inspired by ancient bird-shaped idols (Late Bronze Age) and Kyra tis Lempas (Neolithic period). But I reimagined her as a figure of today, with form, softness, and power. She’s a woman you can worship.

Helena: Speaking of powerful women - tell me about Kyra tis Lempas.

Deena: She’s a lesser-known prehistoric idol, than the Pomos crossed-shaped figure that we all know and represents Cyprus. A major settlement of the Late Chalcolithic Period (3500-2400 BC), the Prehistoric Settlement of Lempa came to light after archaeological excavations in 1987. Excavations in the area revealed tools, terracotta statuettes and cross-shaped figurines made of gray picrolite or limestone, most notably the well-known Lady of Lempa/Kyra tis Lempas, a figurine with a female figure that proves that a woman was a deity in the prehistoric era of Cyprus. The naked, pregnant figure is interpreted as a fertility symbol, possibly a precursor to the goddess Aphrodite. But what draws the most attention are the lines that appear as decorative designs and are in fact astronomical observations, like a kind of portable lunar calendar. I see her as both mystery and familiarity - a body that has created, endured, and held meaning over millennia. To me, she represents sacred femininity rooted in this land.

Helena: What role does ritual play in your creative life?

Deena: My rituals are simple, sensory, and ever-changing. Some mornings, I’ll sit outside my studio with a coffee and watch people pass. Some mornings I go for an early walk in my neighbourhood. Maybe some yoga exercises or breathing techniques. Other days, I walk by the sea just to listen, to clear my mind. I can’t always do everything but when I do, it centers me. It’s those small, conscious moments that restore me creatively.

Helena: What does sustainability look like for you?

Deena: It’s not just a trend, it’s a responsibility. It’s a way of living actually. I try to minimize waste in every part of my work and lifestyle. I repurpose materials, avoid excess, and always source locally where I can, especially for the gift sets. Sustainability must be lived, not just labelled.

Helena: If you could design a souvenir for slow living, what would it be?

Deena: Something simple and grounding, maybe a mug. I actually have one design of fridge magnet/sticker with Cypriot coffee (the mug and the small plate), and what I love is how people project their own meanings onto it. Some imagine themselves enjoying the coffee talks with their loved ones, others playing tavli at a kafeneio or just enjoying their coffee by the beach. That’s the beauty of slow living: everyone finds their own version of stillness.

Helena: What does legacy mean to you?

Deena: My daughter is my legacy. I want to raise a kind, grounded person full of love and respect. Through my art, I want to pass on feelings- joy, reverence, connection. None of these stories belong only to me. They’re part of our shared history. I’m just shaping them into something you can hold.

Helena: This creative space you have created with your husband is called Sunmoon Creative Space - tell us a bit about it.

Deena: It’s our space, our rhythm. A multifunctional home for art, gatherings, tastings, ideas. We host a variety of workshops (cocktail, kombucha, craft beer etc), events, exhibitions, even private celebrations. We are open on Thursdays (for 18:30 until late) as a bar and serve the best cocktails you’ve ever tasted! It’s ever-evolving, like life. 

To explore Deena’s work and discover her creations, visit www.deenasavva.com and follow her @deenasavva.