Fanni Király

Jewellery maker

©Ferenc Csenki

©Fanni Király

The joy of endless experimentation

Fanni studied at the University of Applied Arts, Budapest
She uses a unique parchment tensioning technique
She was one of the first Hungarian exhibitors at the Sieraad Fair

Fanni Király, who originally wanted to be a graphic artist, got acquainted with goldsmithing tools early on, thanks to her engraver father. During her high school years she developed an interest in plastic objects, which eventually led her to goldsmithing. Her objects are inspired by her research into Asian cultures, African folk jewellery and costumes, Inuit art, nature and the concept of time. Aside from the jewellery, Fanni has been asked to design awards for various organisations and coins for the Hungarian National Bank. She has also been offering modelling and drawing courses at an art school for 20 years. In 1996, she was a recipient of the Moholy-Nagy Design Grant and the Lajos Kozma Applied Arts Scholarship in 1998.

Interview

©Laura Csenki

©Ferenc Csenki

Who do you consider your greatest influences?: When I studied at the University of Applied Arts (now MOME) it was the golden age of goldsmiths. Everyone envied us because we had such good teachers: Vladimir Péter and András Bánfalvi. They had a huge impact on my thinking, improved my sense of proportion and gave me great confidence.
What are your special techniques?: The raw material of my parchment tensioning technique is sun-dried untanned goatskin, which gives me endless opportunities to experiment. I tension it into a spatial form, trying to colour its natural bone tone as subtly as possible. The leather-petals, which become either opaque or as translucent as glass, are fastened by lost-wax cast silver nodes.
Can you share with us a memorable moment in your career?: Noémi Gera, Márta Edőcs and I were the first Hungarians to be invited to exhibit at the Sieraad International Jewellery Art Fair in Amsterdam in 2018. There was always a huge bustle at our booth. One of our visitors commented that ours was the most beautiful booth, with the most special jewellery, and our country can be proud of us.
What threatens today’s jewellery design?: There are two main threats. Those that create jewellery without any goldsmithing experience – it is then sold online and the public has a hard time distinguishing between jewellery that has something to say and fashion jewellery. The other danger is a branch of the contemporary scene, “ugly jewellery”, which turns an already small audience away from us all.

Fanni Király is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1998 and she started teaching in 2021