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Lívia Gorka Decorative Ceramic Bowl, Hungary ca 1960s

About the Item

Munkácsy Mihály Prize-winning Hungarian ceramicist, worthy artist, and daughter of Géza Gorka, Gorka Lívia is one of the most renowned Hungarian ceramists. Her present work is a highly distinctive piece even if measured against her own exceptional repertoire. In 1947, Lívia Gorka passed her master's exam in pottery. Her master was his father, Géza Gorka. As an independent, self-employed artist, se worked in the Gorka workshop in Verőce until 1959, and had created in her own studio after that. The source of her art has always been nature, and as such, her typical objects (if we can discuss typical at all in her case) are large, asymmetrical vessels, idols, fish, birds, and stones. Gorka preferred creating unique objects and to think in series and groups of objects. She worked with high-fired, custom-made materials such as stone, oxide clay glazes, and often combined clay with metal. The colours of her works have a strong plastic effect and are generally quite restrained. This handmade piece reflects her minimalistic and timeless language of forms that appears in every inch of this bowl that is in the field between art, design, and handicraft. The colours are spectacular, the black glazed outside harbours a medley of shapes and colours on the inside. This glazed, geometrically decorated piece has an unusual, modern shape with a hollow opening on top. The bright orange line traces the shape to the hollow opening towards the top and articulates the unusual angle at which the bowl stands. Lívia Gorka was able to step out of her father's shadow and create her own style with her ceramics. A true artist who always worked with craft techniques, she also developed her own technique for making the glaze, so her works, like this bowl, always represent a recognizable, unique world of shapes and colours. Gorka was a master of these subtleties that established her one-of-a-kind visual language that is still coveted not just in her native Hungary, but all around the world among ceramic enthusiasts and collectors. Thanks to this, it can easily be placed in both a vintage or contemporary interior and is sure to stand out from its surroundings. About the designer: Gorka Lívia (Nógrádverőce March 5, 1925 – Diszel, August 4, 2011) Mihály Munkácsy Prize-winning Hungarian ceramicist, a distinguished artist. Daughter of Géza Gorka. She was born in Nógrádverőce to Géza Gorka and Irén Kovács. She received her professional and artistic training in her father's workshop. She got used to serious work when he was six or eight years old, as she worked in his father's workshop during school breaks. She had gained additional knowledge during self-education and travels abroad (Finland). In 1948, she passed the master's examination for pottery. In her opinion, his father: "He had a legendary knowledge of materials. He worked with accumulated experience and intuition. He had everything in his hands. I could only infer his working method." She worked in the Gorka workshop in Verőce until 1954, so she had someone to learn the hidden secrets of the profession from. From 1954 she created in her own workshop, and from 1962 in Budapest. He also mixes stone, metal and ceramics. Lívia Gorka's works are mostly separated from their practical functions, and as independent sculptures they represent the versatile possibilities inherent in the ceramic genre. (His public works: in Gödöllő: Zodiákus, 1966; at the University of Agricultural Sciences, at the hospital in Tatabánya: Under the Magnifying Glass, 1979 and Birds in 1975 at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington.) The source of his art is nature, his typical objects are large, asymmetrical vessels, idols, fish, birds, and stones. It followed the ancient brain formation before pucks. He created unique objects, he liked to think in series and groups of objects. "I love my job. I absolutely love working for myself. I like the freedom and order of the small workshop. Simply because I am responsible for everything from the beginning to the end, I have something to do with the good and the bad. Giving shape to the formless greyness: I create from nothing, sometimes I feel like it. In addition to respecting and following the old "greats", it is possible to get to know the origin and properties of new materials by hand and in fire." From 1994, the permanent exhibition of the Gorka Museum in Verőce was expanded with material from Géza Gorka's daughter, Lívia, and her late husband, Géza Gorka-Focht, so visitors can learn about the art of the famous ceramic dynasty in one museum. She was a member of the Association of Hungarian Artists and Industrial Artists (MKISZ) from 1956, the Art Fund, the National Association of Hungarian Artists (MAOE) from 1955, and the Association Internationale de la Couleur (AIC), and from 1970- to the International Handicrafts Group.
  • Creator:
    Livia Gorka (Artist)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 7.88 in (20 cm)Width: 7.68 in (19.5 cm)Depth: 3.55 in (9 cm)
  • Style:
    Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Ceramic,Glazed
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1960s
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Budapest, HU
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU9486237577892
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