Kalocsai Exhibition and Workshop in London

Kalocsa is one of the oldest and most charming towns in Hungary, which is usually associated with the aromatic paprika used for seasoning. Kalocsa is also famous for its flamboyant folk art. To celebrate the specialties of the town, the Hungarian Cultural Centre London in partnership with KrisztinaDesign exhibits the folk art of this versatile city the same weekend as the Festival of Paprika in Kalocsa takes place.

The Kalocsa exhibition will include workshops and interactive activities as well as a video screening showing the beautiful town of Kalocsa and its folk art. Visitors will be able to try on traditional costumes from the region and try their hands at embroidery and painting porcelain with the help of a professional painter.

The hand-decorated porcelain on display is created and sponsored by the Porcelain Manufactory of Kalocsa (www.porcelanfesto.hu). This manufactory has been producing porcelain since 1971 with the help of highly skilled and talented craftswomen. Once the astonishing patterns are painted on the goods, they are shifted to the furnace. The completed products are then ready to turn the dull days into a celebration.

The folk art of the town started to unfold at the end of the 18th century with furniture decoration, followed by the techniques of daubing and embroidery. The motifs were created by pattern designers. The colourful embroidery began to spread around the 1920s, which resulted in the application of more and more colours. The designs of the embroidery are continuously changing and they are being refined as the tradition and skills spread from generation to generation.