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Clay heart

04.02.2022 09:20

City of Košice Handicrafts

Ceramics are forever, says Igor Macák.

A hobby, a profession, and a mission. Having fun, literally playing with clay and making ceramic art or utility ceramics. For fun and profit. Such is the creative collaboration that fills the lives of the artistic ceramist Igor Macák and his wife, Iveta.

Igor Macák learned the potter’s craft in the company Slovenská ľudová majolika (literally translated as Slovak Folk Maiolica) in Modra. In 1992, he decided to strike out on his own and the potter's wheel has been his livelihood ever since. His first products were vases and flower pots. Today, though, he has a much wider range. Together with his wife, they have created their own way of decorating pottery with plant motifs, a universal fish motif, or a grapevine motif. They revived an ancient and popular folk art element - the tulip. At the same time, they also draw on old pottery masters for inspiration, for example, those who worked in Gemer.

Unlike traditional potters, who used their feet to power the potter's wheel and fired products in wood kilns, today's potters use an electric wheel and an electric kiln. The freedom offered by clay, however, has remained the same. It has a wide range, as it can be formed into various shapes. Igor Macák bases his work mainly on turned shapes, but he then adjusts them according to himself - he decorates them and combines various glazes. He experiments often, constantly looking for the right procedures. He is not discouraged by the occasional failure. All the cycle can last for up to three weeks, only then does the result appear which keeps the potter in suspense. That is one of the reasons why engagement in this craft is, by necessity, a long-term matter as you develop skills and gain experience.