Judit Turcsányi

Paints for innovation

• In Judit's work, the finest traditions of porcelain art are twinned with a modern vision
• She is one of few to use sunk-in glaze painting
• She is experimental with her methods of shaping her pieces

After finishing her studies, Judit Turcsányi gained professional experience in some of the largest Hungarian porcelain factories, working at Herend, Zsolnay, and Hollóháza Porcelain Manufactory, where she designed vases for small-scale production. These days, she mainly works with cast porcelain technology, starting by carving a plaster model and then creating a casting mould from it. Her favourite colour combination is blue-white-gold, and she often uses paints sunk into glazes. Working with this technique means that she paints on the already fired porcelain glaze, then re-fires the item at high temperatures, causing the paint to sink and melt into the deeper layers of the glaze. This special technique has become her trademark. Continuous experimentation and research are her lifeblood: "At the beginning of my career, I felt constrained by the technological limitations of the potter's wheel, so I chose cast porcelain technology for more free-form shaping. Nowadays, instead of cast technology that still has certain limitations, I like to explore the spontaneity of manual shaping," she says.

Interview

©All rights reserved

©All rights reserved

How do tradition and innovation come together in your work?

Tradition lies in the technology I use: porcelain casting. Perhaps what can be called innovation is how I create the model, for example, with inverted, negative patterns, or using kneadable plaster for shaping, or even plastic sheets with pourable silicone rubber.

What was the first item you ever made?

The first item I made using the slip casting technique was a pitcher. At high school, I carved the model from a piece of plaster to create a mould, then decorated it with glaze coloured like sand that I made myself.

What has been the most memorable moment in your working life?

The most memorable moments are always when I open the kiln after a long firing. There have been times when after an unsuccessful reduction firing, the surfaces of all my pieces were covered in blisters. However, most of the time, it is a joyful and surprising experience when I see the finished pieces.

What is your main inspiration?

I am mainly inspired by natural forms, the structure of a flower or a plant, but I also often use memories of a landscape or an experience in my work.

Judit Turcsányi is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1986

Works

©András Bozsó

©András Bozsó

©András Bozsó

©Gellért Áment

©Gellért Áment

Where