Just as Buda and Pest form two halves of Hungary's capital, so the form and function shape the city’s rich output of craft. Creating unique tableware, hats, shoes or knives is not only about aesthetics! Inspired by age-old methods, and conscious of the importance to keep the traditions alive, Budapest's artisans believe the beauty of their wares cannot come at the expense of either usability or wearability. Follow our ten recommendations to get a flavour of the variety of craftspeople who combine novel forms with practice and mix tradition with innovation.
Csaba Pankotai draws inspiration from age-old leatherworking techniques and deems it important to keep traditions alive, but he also believes that it cannot come at the expense of wearability.
For ceramicist Tünde Ruzicska, creating unique tableware is not only about aesthetics. She believes combining beautiful forms with usability as well as mixing tradition with innovation is equally important.
For Valéria Fazekas, technique is one of her tools when she embarks on a new hat. Under socialism, there was a shortage of materials and craftspeople had to be creative in the use of materials. Old habits die hard!
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Leatherworker Judit Pinviczki has always been creative, but she is attracted first and foremost to making useful objects rather than creating pieces of fine art.
Péter Borkovics came up with his special glassmaking technique in 1989, but it took time until technological improvements and experience made it feasible for him to sculpt his glass with such precision.
As a result of Mónika Kovács’ experimentation, she has created a number of woven metal textiles, which at first glance appear as fabrics, but have the elegance of works of art.
Zoltán Toth’s jewellery is created with meticulous craftsmanship and a deep respect for the materials. Some of the pieces are made with repoussage and chasing, while others have a strong sculptural character.
In parallel to Márta Kanics’s continuous study of new materials she can use for weaving, she remains wedded to traditional technologies, she also researches colour theory.
Márta Legeza’s style of basket making is an intriguing mixture of traditional patterns with an exciting modern twist, resulting in pieces that fit the lifestyle and taste of today’s people.
One of few ceramicists to use sunk-in glaze painting, Judit Turcsányi loves to experiment, creating unusual, otherworldly shapes, beautiful yet always practical.
