Painted terracotta, 1972, 40x38 cm

With the topic of July, we remember Pálffy Árpád (February 1, 1931 – July 7, 2023), passed away one year ago.

The artist from Hoghia was at the same time a sculptor, ceramist, entrepreneur and founding member of the UDMR from Ciuc. Since 1960 he lived in Miercurea-Ciuc, but the defining period of his life is the few years in which he was the head of the black ceramics section of the Oltul Cooperative in Danesti.

A significant part of his works can be found in the Szekler Museum of Ciuc, in 2007 donating 125 of his works to the institution. He became known for his decorative ceramics with folk notes, clean and simple, inspired both technically and formally from local traditions, folk crafts, ceramic sculptures, glazed ceramics, small wooden sculptures, as well as ceramic plaques and bronzes modelled after famous personalities, reliefs and other works of decorative art.

"I had to meet Ciuc and the black pottery, even if it was with a big detour. We were a good influence on each other. It was to be. It was my destiny.

The desire to sculpt has been with me all my life. And I was given the opportunity. I started designing and creating individual ceramic objects since the beginning of my activity in Dănești. This is where I got the idea to model abstract human figures or even portraits from pottered pieces. There, the right pieces were lovingly prepared for me, from which to make figurative compositions or model imagined portraits.

I planned in advance the form that was going to be rolled, as well as what it was going to become, what pattern it was going to have. Principles of matter, such as plasticity, had to be taken into account. With a rough, careless movement, the thin-walled part collapses. And we can start over. Improvisations during modelling were also dictated by the clay. During the process I had to change the world of the imagined shapes in the drawing.

We must dedicate our work to those we draw from. We owe it to them and not to foreigners. I am convinced that the time will come when the results of hard work will be appreciated at home. That's why I burn my poetics, which has accompanied me throughout my life, is exactly persistent work and patience." (excerpt from the art monograph written by Székedi Ferenc, published in 2020 by the Csíkszereda Publishing House in collaboration with the Gutenberg typography, on the occasion of Pállfy Árpád's 90th birthday)

The work chosen as object of the month is a typical piece, which can be easily recognized by the theme, the simplicity resulting from the pottery technique, the semi-abstract figurativeness and the essential minimalism.