Benkő, Ilona (1937 - )

Ceramic artist. She was born in Cristuru Secuiesc (Székelykeresztúr) Romania in 1937. In 1961, she graduated in ceramics from the Hungarian Academy of Applied Arts (today: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design) as a student of Miklós Borsos. She has been commissioned to make both decorative and practical objects for the Kunsthalle and the Applied Arts Company in Budapest, where she has a workshop on Munkácsy Street which she shares with several other artists. A turning point in her life's work was her participation in the 1964 ceramics symposium in Gmunden, Upper Austria, where she became acquainted with high-fire materials and reduction firing techniques. Upon her return home, she created autonomous, sculptural objects fired at temperatures above 1200 °C. She participated in ceramics symposia in Siklós, Kecskemét and later Hódmezővásárhely. In 1968, she was a founding member of the Prizma 13 artists’ group. Since 1982, she has been a member of the International Academy of Ceramics (AIC-IAC, Geneva). In 1991?1992, she was a founding member of the TERRA Group. Her main professional distinctions include awards in the National Ceramics Biennial, Pécs, Hungary (1968, 1978, 1980); the International Ceramics Competition, Faenza, Italy (1973, 1978, 1980); the International Ceramics Biennial, Vallauris, France (1976); and the International Ceramics Competition, Gualdo Tadino, Italy (1979). She has also been awarded the Mihály Munkácsy Prize (1976), the Prize of the Ministry of Culture (1983), the István Gádor Prize (2012), and the Artist of Merit of Hungary (2021). Her works can be found in several public collections in Hungary and abroad. She is a regular member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts.