Ceramics Residency Program

Artist statement – OLD REPLACE WITH NEW WHEN YOU GET IT

My ceramic work merges my Hungarian background with my education in American pottery. Through ceramics, I can interpret my Hungarian cultural background through the lens of my North Carolina surroundings.

My decorative patterns depict floral motifs and birds, two common patterns found in Hungarian folk art. I choose points of inspiration freely, studying elements of embroidery, wood carving, and traditional pottery. I create narrative vessels depicting historic folk tales, combining lush imagery with a personal interpretation. Each element of form, decoration, and narrative works together to reveal the timeless value of folk culture.

My process correlates to my immersion in American pottery tradition. After earning a BA in Ceramics from the University of Kansas, I continued my clay education in an apprenticeship to Kate Waltman in Seagrove, NC. Many of my processes became tied to the communal nature of wood-salt firing and functional folk pottery in Seagrove. The atmospheric, high-fire methodology creates an interesting blend of aesthetics. The blue and white images and flowing brushstrokes leap off of a toasty brown background, glazed with a combination of wood ash, soda, and salt.

Though my work is rooted in two specific folk traditions, I consider it modern, conceptually. I make Hungarian work because it connects me back to a culture that doesn’t exist unless I create it for myself. At the same time, I’m incorporating the customs of my American community. The result is an authentic reflection of my experience.