The pottery maker Szűcs family

In the 19th century, Tiszafüred hosted one of the most homogenous and unique pottery centres in Hungary. This “most Hungarian style of pottery” can be found in the Central Tisza region. The local craftsmen made richly decorated glazed pots, a tradition that is authentically carried on by this workshop. Karcag was the centre of folk pottery in the 1950s, with Sándor Kántor as its leader of national fame. Imre Szűcs became his student and spent his apprenticeship there until 1970. This was the workshop where at that time Mihály F. Szabó Sr., whom he considers his other great mentor also worked.

Imre Szűcs founded his workshop in Tiszafüred in 1972, and it was here that he taught his wife, Erzsébet, and daughters, Andrea and Judit, all the skills of pottery. Every member of the family is an applied folk artists. Imre received the title Master of Folk Art in 1987, while Andrea and Judit became Young Masters of Folk Art in 2002 and 2007, respectively. They have created one of the most outstanding family workshops in the country, where three masters work together. They are authentic followers and preservers of the Tiszafüred pottery traditions, but they are not reluctant to try new solutions and accept new challenges. Imre Szűcs has received numerous awards for his outstanding work in preserving the pottery traditions of Tiszafüred (Pomegranate Award, 2005; Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary, 2013; Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County Regional Prima Award, 2022). His work is part of the cultural heritage of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County, as a recipient of the Master of Folk Art Award his life’s work is part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. He has been a public member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts since 2018.

www.szucsimre-fazekas.com