Szekeres, Károly (1940 - 2016)

Ceramic and porcelain artist. He was born in Zánka in 1940. He graduated in 1967 from the Hungarian Academy of Applied Arts (today: Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design) in porcelain design under the guidance of master ceramicist Imre Schrammel. Between 1967 and 1969, he worked as a designer at the Herend Porcelain Factory. From 1969 until his retirement in 2000, he was the designer and artistic director of the Városlőd Majolica Factory (later: Herend Majolica Factory). He designed heat-resistant cookware using Városlőd red clay. Not only are his forms ergonomic, facilitating practical use, but they are also archaic, reflecting the influence of folk pottery. In addition to tableware design, he has created sculptures, decorative objects, reliefs, and public sculptures in his studio with his wife, Emese Vásárhelyi. In 1974, he became a member of the International Academy of Ceramics (AIC-IAC, Geneva). In 1991?1992, he was a founding member of the TERRA Group. His main professional distinctions include awards at the National Ceramics Biennial, Pécs, Hungary (1975, 1978, 1986, 1988); the International Ceramics Biennial, Vallauris, France (1978, 1980); the National Silicate Industry Design Triennial, Kecskemét, Hungary (1979); the International Ceramics Competition, Faenza, Italy (1984); the International Mini Ceramics Triennial, Zagreb, Yugoslavia (1987); and the PELSO National Ceramics and Tapestry Biennial (1997, 2015). He also won the Mihály Munkácsy Prize (1977) and Artist of Merit (1987). His works have been exhibited in numerous Hungarian and international exhibitions and can be found in several public collections.