DIÁNA FARKAS

My diploma work is a series of one-off vases, called LORE Collection. It operates with the very same basic shape through the series, while each and every piece is having different cut-outs, which is altering the form and its function differently. They are primarily decorative objects, welcoming individually arranged cut flowers. All the cut-outs are following the traditional Kalocsa shape of embodied patterns.

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The biggest aim of mine was to create porcelain objects where the material influences the shape of the pattern and also the pattern adds a significant twist to the material – by directing it’s shape, causing intentional deformation mostly by pyroplastical movements.

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All the patterns I used were directly sampled from books, encouraging woman to decorate their 1960-80s homes with ’rural’ patterns -as the most welcomed way of decorating – during the communist/socialist times. (I decided to use the designing method called: experimental archetypes, as I felt, this particular approach has the power and guarantees the freedom to me to dare to think differently)

 The gesture of using those Kalocsa ornaments without reshaping the already-faked traditional rural patterns roots in my personal disappointment –from one hand connected to the usage of those patterns here in Hungary nowadays. On the other hand, related to the operation of the Porcelain Manufacture of Kalocsa. (It is a really left-behind company, producing poorly (barely) designed objects and also the most significant amount of patterned souvenirs and national-kitsch related objects in general nationwide – while they are actually realising objects excellently for designers.)

The outer form itself works as a canvas. The cut-outs are inspired by the madeira and richelieu embroidery but creating an abstraction by joining the elements of the patterns, more or less, depending on the certain piece. (using this inspiration in the inverse, as originally those techniques are highlighting the pattern by taking the canvas away )

The name ’Lore’ reflects on the possible conversations we all should have about the contemporary usage of folk art in design.

On the other hand Folklore as an expression no longer involves ’folk visual arts’, the meaning of it altered in our language. And as language is shaping our understanding of certain things, we can see how it shaped our relationship to the topic .

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My overall statement is that: decoration is having the possibility of shaping the function, as such – giving function to it means, there is a reason for using them.

The cut-outs – so the ’censored patterns’ are creating the holes to let the flower access to the inner vase or ikebana part. The type and the placement of the cut-outs shape the usage of the object and also limits the flower composition, the user possibly can set in it. My intention was to let the user ’decorate’ this object with flowers till he/she feels happy about it.

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As we no longer have any strong connection to creating patterns, I think it is elevating to let the user create it’s own, by letting them to use flowers as modules to set up a pattern. While the users are decorating my design, the objects are becoming less and less significant. The more they decorate the less it appears as an individual object. The flower transforms this object almost a container lookalike piece. A vase that is humble enough to let the flowers to take the limelight. This behaviour is rare in terms of a vase – which usually works as an object concurring with the piece of nature placed inside, not behaving like a ’container’.
But at the very end my design stays alive while nature fades away from it. It reflects back to the slogan of Kalocsa Porcelain Manufacture: ’The flower that will never wither’

 

Dimensions: 30 cm diameter: 21 cm
Special thanks: the whole crew of MOME art and design dept., Villeroy & Boch
Photos: Diána Farkas

a Hungarian article about this diploma collection: link

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This project gained a FRANZ Rising Star Project Scholarship and got to be introduced to a bigger audience during the 5th Meat Design Festival in Ostrava, Czech Republic this year. Two pieces from that collection were sold as individual artworks in the event of Mosoly Auction, as Katalin Spengler selected them for it.

2019