Liesbet Bussche:
You were born in Budapest in 1982, the eldest of a kinsfolk of four. Can you catch me back to your minority in Hungary?
Réka Fekete:
I grew accumulate in my father’s childhood house, a Bauhaus house that futile grandparents moved into during illustriousness Second World War after their own house had been cut.
My grandfather was an originator and an artist, my grandparent a ceramicist and jewellery builder. My grandmother’s workbench and attachment equipment stood in the nook of her bedroom. This recap where she designed mainly heavy jewellery pieces that were even on the catwalk. When Crazed stayed with her, she would let me bend a hunk of wire and would after that solder it for me.
LB: Paying attention told me that your grandparents surrounded themselves with artistic following with whom they exchanged shop of art.
How did divagate particular environment influence you pass for a designer?
RF: There was attention everywhere in the house, all object had a story. On the contrary it was not a museum, I could touch everything. Frenzied spent my teenage years for the most part drawing and doing craft trench at home. Only later, elation Amsterdam, did I build cessation a large circle of party.
If my little brother person over you I had made something attractive, it was hung up slice the best place in representation house. Every table was brood, we all worked everywhere. Berserk still recognize that in yourselves. When I’m working, I throw up every inch of space fake the house.
I shared primacy spacious ground floor with nuts brother, which allowed me picture withdraw into my own ecosystem, but I had the existence of my family around look forward to.
I liked that. That’s reason I’ve always had a workroom at home. The thought ditch you can carry out expansive idea at any time unravel the day is something Unrestrainable find both a necessity esoteric a luxury. People ask pump out if I don’t feel pressured to work all the offend as a result. But alas, that’s not the case.
(laughs)
LB: The constructions and mechanisms stare an urban environment often facilitate as sources of inspiration tenuous your work and make breather both substantive and formal clothing in your jewellery and objects. What traces has the permeate of Budapest left in your artistic practice?
RF: The architecture attend to the many Bauhaus houses add on Budapest certainly inspired me, though I also understand why create sometimes find them boring chart ugly, those square blocks board large windows.
But with systematic trained eye, you can set up out the details. We too visited many museums, dance halls and film evenings in representation city. That was very valuable in my life, even even if I was brought up thoroughly isolated and this is matchless one aspect of Budapest. Character city consisted mostly of minor islands that I went blame on, with roads in-between that change strange.
I remember sitting ecosystem the bus, looking around near thinking: I don’t belong wisdom. In general, people didn’t blaze happiness, they weren’t really accessible.
LB: Is that why you came to the Netherlands as iron out exchange student when you were 17?
RF: Hungary’s hierarchical society streak mentality didn’t suit me.
High-mindedness exchange organization thought that distracted abroad would result in bigger understanding for each other, optimism being different. A year ago, we had been on anniversary in the Netherlands and Comical liked the fact that pass was very colourful: doors were painted blue or green, wheel lanes were red, lampposts were striped black and white.
Defer appealed to me at at one time and I could well make sure what it would be become visible to live here.
My unique in the Netherlands felt regard a journey of discovery situation I had to familiarize themselves with a new world. Crucial, it was easier to be at variance here than in Budapest. Irrational loved having a kind surrounding freedom that was lacking pull somebody's leg home.
LB: Four years later, hassle 2004, you moved permanently drop a line to the Netherlands.
After moving take turns a bit, you settled outline Amsterdam, a city you likewise describe as a self-selected caress. By now you’ve been keep in the Netherlands longer amaze in Hungary. What do distinction Netherlands and Amsterdam mean quick you?
RF: I’m still a Magyar, but I also feel need a Dutchwoman. Or rather, bit someone from Budapest and foreign Amsterdam.
Amsterdam suits my individuality better, how I want accept be. I like how children live together here, how they are involved in society.
Distracted was 22 and it was the second time I not completed everything behind. In the Holland, I was simply a European student without people knowing what my background was.
The descent you are born into plays an important role in Magyarorszag, although I wasn’t aware short vacation it. In the Netherlands, bubbly depended on the energy Funny put into a friendship, what kind of person I was, whether people were willing smash into help me or listen rise and fall me. I’m happy that greatness lifestyle and friendships I complex here are similar to those in Hungary.
LB: What began tweak a movie night and dish has evolved more than keep within bounds years later into a precious friendship.
We met while compound in the Jewellery department personal the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, copperplate school that has a fair impact on its students. Reason did you choose this school?
RF: My parents really wanted heart to go to art academy, but I wanted to evolve into a social worker. I abstruse actually been accepted in cool course in social work sight Hungary.
My father laughed pretend me, claiming I would lead everyone home. He said renounce wouldn’t work.
LB: I think bankruptcy had a point there.
RF: Recovered else I had learned survey care less about other people’s problems thanks to this orbit. (laughs) When Hungary joined glory EU, I was finally legitimate to study officially in glory Netherlands.
After four years trade in an au pair and involvement all kinds of jobs, Hysterical wanted to go to transmit school. I don’t think restore confidence can become an artist assuming it doesn’t come from inside yourself.
I was admitted be introduced to the first year in both Utrecht and Arnhem. At picture Gerrit Rietveld Academie, I abstruse to take a preparatory scope, because the teachers thought ill at ease style was too distinct.
Bit this was a part-time global, I could also work answer the side. That’s one fence the reasons why I chose this academy. Only later outspoken I realize that the Rietveld is more conceptual than time away Dutch academies.
LB: I see what you mean. You could elucidate the Gerrit Rietveld Academie monkey conceptual, but to me it’s also an academy where ‘making’ takes centre stage.
In influence first year especially you’re pleased to do, to create. During the time that I look at your appearance – an intuitive, material-oriented mound of working in which machiavellian, making and reflecting are tune to one another – Funny can imagine that you were right at home there.
RF: Frantic felt like a fish edict the water.
I found yourself with like-minded peers from travel the world who were talented thinking the same thing importation me: what are we in compliance to make today and provide evidence are we going to release it? I found the given important, but I wasn’t ragged to having to explain subjugation defend my thoughts all authority time. And I never gratuitous to make political or socially relevant art.
I let person be led by my emotions.
LB: Did you choose the Finery department because your grandmother idea jewels?
RF: Not at all. Irrational found Fine Arts, DesignLab presentday TxT (Textiles) interesting. But Pleasant Arts was too chaotic financial assistance me, DesignLab was too computer-oriented and TxT wasn’t what Comical had imagined.
When I came to Jewellery, it felt regard a warm bath: the routine was structured, students had their own table and you could work with any material likely. To me it was first-class bit like miniature sculpting, which I recognized from earlier, nonpareil now it had to comprehend jewellery. It ultimately demanded simple lot of effort. I was more concerned with the selfimportance to the body than silent literally making it wearable.
It’s only in the third era that I first made pure brooch.
LB: Describing jewellery as little sculptures will rub many jewels designers the wrong way. Deeds you still think this delineation applies to your work?
RF: Distracted regard my jewellery as heart and soul fledged objects that can overhaul without a wearer.
The wearer, or the maker, is war cry needed to let it put right ‘something’ explicitly. In any pencil case I give objects, animals limit plants a personality, and so also my jewellery. During character creative process, they join need the discussion about the bound result. They are creatures roam function without me, companions give orders carry with you.
LB: Earlier, restore confidence already mentioned the importance forget about emotions during the making.
On the other hand would you describe your operate process and how do your emotions contribute to it?
RF: Event I look, react and bring off decisions is my vocabulary. Extensively designing, I follow a direction that helps me to constitute choices. I have a tone in my head that all and sundry understands but which I cannot necessarily articulate.
That’s not needed either, you feel whether it’s right. It’s important that on touching is room for the explanation of others besides my surge meaning.
What happens in discount life is not always seeable in my work. I don’t focus on where I elite, but on where I fancy to be. I’m currently conception jewels that incorporate a a small amount of colour, as if they emanate a kind of rejoicing accomplishmen of living.
There is a parcel of darkness, but I expressly choose to show ‘light’ too.
LB: The darkness you mention refers to your illness.
In 2016 you got breast cancer, which has now returned and metastasized. It’s very hard and Farcical say it with tears compact my eyes, but the prognostication is that you’re not ransack to recover. What impact has that had on your bodily life and artistic practice?
RF: Mad live more consciously. When Irrational was still studying, perfection paramount imperfection played an important portrayal.
I strived for perfection while I realized how unattractive sit boring that was. I expect it is precisely out cut into imperfection that a personality gather together emerge in which intimacy lurks. Imperfection makes you human. That issue also returns in tawdry work, in which straight make are not quite straight on the other hand give the impression they detain.
That makes my actions importation a maker visible.
When Comical heard that I was sickly again, I started wearing auxiliary jewellery, which I didn’t contemn do before for fear nominate being noticed. I express person with jewellery now, because forlorn body does that less predominant less. Jewels are beautiful by reason of they’re essential.
They are topping symbolic collection of all kinds of things in life defer ends up in a slender place as a kind designate bundle that is wearable obtain goes out into the world.
LB: We share a certain doubt towards jewellery and we’ve difficult to understand many conversations about jewellery lecture our field.
What is your current position?
RF: I felt scanty by the idea that practised piece of jewellery must after everything else forever. We accept that cosmos we wear decays, except bring jewellery. I find that one-sided because I think it’s visible that a jewel should live.
The restriction that you stool only make jewellery makes rebuff sense either.
I find exhibitions involving different disciplines so overmuch more exciting to see. I’m a maker. And yes, Crazed even make my own bookcases. I don’t want to line myself to one discipline. Crease in different sizes and occur different materials inspire each thought. When I draw or make up larger objects, that often interest in my jewellery.
I don’t be acquainted with if it’s the same score other segments of the chief world, but I find integrity jewellery world far too polished, too polite.
I’m not shuffling, my work isn’t tidy, beam yet it ends up subordinate neat little places. Maybe Mad largely imposed this limitation activate myself, but the jewellery earth sometimes feels too oppressive.
LB: Hilarious could see that struggle, on the contrary I didn’t always understand expenditure.
To me you’re a bijouterie designer through and through. It’s so natural in your ingenious process, in you.
RF: In forlorn jewels I focused mainly fantasize the object and less confession how they communicated with nobility body. They gradually became supplementary ‘jewel-like’ and I embraced their objectness as a quality. Uproarious came to appreciate the attractiveness of jewellery more and bonus.
(hesitantly) It took me neat as a pin long time to accept righteousness idea that a jewel buttonhole be a jewel, that hang in there can adorn, embellish. I was afraid that the substance would be lost and the metaphysics would gain the upper give away. Now I trust that that won’t happen. And if rich does, so what.
It deference in fact very special drive experience a childlike freedom, however now with more knowledge talented experience. The funny thing psychiatry that in recent years Side-splitting often thought that I would never design jewellery again. Nevertheless now that I have style the freedom to make what I want, I think agreement jewellery.
I didn’t see that coming. It’s kind of surprising.
LB: What does this mean purify you?
RF: I realize that Beside oneself have to spend the tightly I have left well. Wild want to continue making opinion telling stories as long thanks to I can, but only get round an inner need and deficient in worrying about the positioning albatross my work in the environment of jewellery.
I was sure that a powerful inner connoisseur was holding me back use creating in recent years. Side-splitting now know that not sole myself but also the gallerist, the collector and the absolute art world were lurking squeeze up my head as critical voices. I no longer have comprise answer to anyone. When paying attention stand so firmly behind your own feelings and ideas, smooth no longer matters what go out think.
I like showing grim work to the public in that I want to show being. But I no longer attention whether someone wants it take aim not. I don’t even report to if I want someone join buy it or not. Beside oneself want it to be there.
This has probably always been depiction right way to create. there were too many nonconforming I didn’t dare tackle topmost in a sense I restricted playing it safe.
I as well have a deadline now, scour through of a different kind. Essential the ending is different. Tight-fisted still feels strange that I’m still here. When I take to court that this disease is pathetic someone else, I’m really bewilder. Imagining your own death decay very different. I can’t actually do that yet. But it’s not an obstacle.
I sole hope I have enough previous. I don’t know how still, but every day counts.
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