Kinga Huber

Jewellery maker

©SOMA RETFALVI

From cutlery to jewellery

Kinga previously worked in the film industry
She opened her studio 14 years ago
She is a pioneer of new techniques

Kinga Huber first tried her hand at jewellery at the Secondary School of Visual Arts, then continued her studies at the Department of Object Design at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design. After graduation, she received a one-year scholarship from the Studio of Young Artists (FISE) to design a set of cutlery. Three different designs were made, and she ended up with two small sets of spoons, knives and forks: one was later bought by the Museum of Applied Arts and the other by a German cutlery collector. As cutlery making was not overly popular in Hungary at the time, she was forced to change direction. Kinga went on to work in the film industry for about 15 years, making costumes for film productions and commercials. Around 14 years ago, she returned to craft and started creating jewellery pieces. She was a founding member of the Jewellery Night Budapest (ÉÉB), which promotes contemporary jewellery to a wide audience.

Interview

©SOMA RETFALVI

Which techniques do you apply?: I use almost all the techniques of jewellery and silversmithing to create my jewellery. I often integrate techniques from other crafts, combining different materials such as porcelain and metal. I weave thin metal threads together, then enamel or flock them and later create jewellery out of this combination.
How do you combine tradition and innovation in your work?: In my designs, tradition and innovation blend together beautifully, not only in the techniques I use but also in the way I think. One such example is my work entitled Memory Saved, which commemorates plastic straws taken from production: the straw is made from a silver tube with a chain dangling inside.
What do you think makes an object stand out?: For me, the role of an object in conveying thoughts, feelings and opinions is paramount. Beauty alone is not enough, there are countless beautiful jewels in the world - in addition to aesthetics, astonishment and sometimes even "repulsion" are necessary to incite new perspectives.
What are your future projects?: There was a period when I was experimenting with recycling furs and fusing them with jewellery – I crossed over into fashion. I really enjoyed that period as I also learned a bit of needlework and millinery, but now I specifically keep my focus on metal.

Kinga Huber is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2000