A penchant for upholding Hungarian ceramics
- Simon began his artistic experimentation with porcelain and copper
- Since living in Hungary, his work has become more colourful and bold
- Tactile experience plays an important role in his work
Simon Holpert studied philosophy, linguistics and geopolitics, and he started making ceramics in his spare time. His first master was French ceramicist Lise Meillan. "I was fascinated by her glazes. Despite this, for a long time, after I became independent, I did not want to deal with glazes – just like a child, I wanted to go against my master. I started experimenting with glazes only when I moved to Hungary," he says. In Hungary, Simon found that there were plenty of opportunities: "world-famous International ceramics studio in Kecskemét is just an hour's drive from the capital. In addition, the basics of contemporary design are also very interesting here. Entire villages were involved in this profession back in the 1960s and 1970s. A good example is ’Tófej’ ceramic which could be found in every household at the time. This is something to be proud of and it is of paramount importance to translate this heritage into the future.”
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
As an apprentice, it was a huge open bean pod with bean seeds on it. But recently my mother gave me the gift of one of my childhood creations, which was my first ceramic object. It was interesting to see how its shape could relate to my current work.
I do not feel so. A lot of people nowadays want to be a ceramicist overnight. Trained ceramicists have a huge responsibility to make sure that people understand aesthetic and technical differences, and that is why conversations, workshops and exhibitions are so important.
I will open my first atelier in 2024, where I will exhibit my objects and also hold workshops, mainly for children. My aim is to give children the technical skills but also the freedom to create – like the little boy who once came to my workshop and made cars and sofas out of clay.
Mostly my emotions – when I look at different artists’ work, I feel something in my gut that moves me from the inside and tells me something. An other major inspiration are events in my own life that I want to portray with my objects.
Simon Holpert
Ceramicist
Budapest, Hungary
Recommended by Judit Osvárt
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
PHONE
+36 204713547
LANGUAGES
Hungarian, French, German, English
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