Etelka Meixner-Hegyi

Ecce HOME

Porcelain maker

©Etelka Meixner

Experimenting with porcelain

Etelka uses porcelain in painting and sculpture, from architecture to interior design
Several international magazines have published her works
Objects made with her unique drop technique are becoming popular

The works of Etelka Meixner-Hegyi are characterised by poetic finesse. Her objects are often reminiscent of the ever-changing, shining surface of water. Not by chance: choosing their colours is a lengthy process in itself, and their surface is created with a so-called drop technique developed by Etelka herself. The end result is a spectacular surface reminiscent of an optical game that evokes both the surface of the water and the fishes that shimmer in it. Recently, she has also made jewellery using this technique, and she took her first steps towards interior design, too: she creates washbasins and luminaires – with the same precision, sensitivity and richness of detail that applies to her tableware.

Interview

©Etelka Meixner

©Etelka Meixner

Is your activity related to local tradition in any way?: In the village where I live, an internationally renowned pottery factory has operated for 200 years. Several local potters still preserve its traditions, and this has created a vast knowledge base that we all use. I also find the local patterns very interesting.
What inspires you and where do you get your inspiration from?: Nature – primarily its movements and phenomena. Time as a process or as constant change is the common denominator of all my work – you can see it on my drop vessels that depict rain’s movement and on my textile-effect mugs where it is more of a stylistic element.
Do you think the field you work in is in danger?: I see that young designers know little about porcelain as a material – they create beautiful things on paper, but their designs don’t work in practice because the material doesn’t work the way they expected. Humility and knowledge of the material are often lacking, which can cause problems in the long run.
What advice would you give to a young porcelain designer?: Experiment boldly and don’t stop until you discover something you haven’t seen before. This is a difficult path because it is not easy to distance ourselves from the trends, but for a designer, the goal should be primarily to create his or her own visual language.

Etelka Meixner-Hegyi is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2015 and she started teaching in 2019