Eszter Sára Kocsor jewelry designer was the sole Hungarian participant of MAD About Jewelry 2023, an annual exhibition and fair organized by the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. MAD About Jewelry is one of the most important annual benefit sale of contemporary jewelry showcasing 50 emerging and acclaimed international jewelry artists. In the context of this prestigious event the Liszt Institute New York interviewed the young artist and asked her about her career so far and her participation in the fair.
LINY: Where did the idea or motivation to become a jewelry designer come from?
Eszter Kocsor: I grew up in a family of artists, my mother is a Noémi Ferenczy- award-winning tapestry artist, my father studied ceramics at the Hungarian University of Arts and Design. I was interested in art from a very young age, I used to draw a lot and create patterns. When I had to choose between secondary schools, it was clear to me that I wanted to study at the Secondary School of Visual Arts in Budapest – not only did my sister study graphic design there, but my father also taught animation at the school. At that time there were twelve departments to choose from - silversmithing was in my top three. I was quite attracted to making objects in very small sizes. To my mind it goes back to my childhood, to toys, to little gadgets. At first I was not so sure that I had made the right choice because I found it difficult to get the hang of working with metal, I was quite clumsy at first - then, as I got more and more into the tasks, I, in fact, got to like it.
LINY: Where do you get your inspiration from when making jewelry? Are you inspired by your surroundings or do your ideas come from within, from lived experiences?
EK: Actually, everything can be inspiring but it depends on many components - this is where our soul comes into play, how open we are to the outside world and how we are able to absorb and process it. My mirror collection was started during an Erasmus semester in Hildesheim, when I was on a journey to find my own path. What we create says a lot about us, in fact the objects we fashion are full of symbols and through them we can also get to know ourselves better. My mirrored objects suggest that there is a confident, determined „me” somewhere that I rarely show, and that I have always wanted to be.
LINY: Looking through your jewelry collections, one can notice the emphasis on perfect geometric shapes - what materials and processes do you use to achieve this?
EK: I work with stainless steel. I use a spot welding laser to weld each geometric element together. After welding, I polish the inside of the resulting shape to a mirror finish. Some jewelry includes gemstones, zirconia or other synthetic stones, but I also like to work with natural precious stones - I have worked with diamonds, topaz, sapphires and quartz crystals before.
LINY: Why did you choose stainless steel and not e.g. silver or gold?
EK: When I started designing the collection, I was sure that I wanted to work with mirrors. I broke a mirror with a hammer and tried to create new shapes from the pieces. It symbolised my relationship with myself, I had to fall apart and then put myself back together again. It wasn't long before I was sure I wanted to show this effect with metals as well. I knew that I had to choose a material that would not only give me a mirrored surface but would also provide the possibility to build with it. During my time in Hildesheim I had the opportunity to learn about spot welding lasers. I had to choose metals that could be welded well and were durable. Stainless steel is an excellent weldable material and, while silver sulphides over time, steel retains its original shine. I have made two collections to order in 14 carat yellow gold with diamonds and sapphires. I plan to make engagement rings in the future in this collection.
Eszter Sára Kocsor at the MAD About Jewelry annual benefit sale and exhibition in New York
LINY: Is there room for spontaneity in jewelry making?
EK: Yes! Most of the time, when I don't have a specific idea that I need to manifest, I start creating on my own: my soul leads me. I don't usually draw the shape in advance, when I build I listen to my feelings and stop where I feel the object is complete.
LINY: In terms of target audience, who is your jewelry made for or popular with?
EK: I don't have a specific target audience. If my jewelry appeals to someone, they are welcome to get to know it and wear it with joy and freedom. My mirror collection is quite striking, strong and bold. I believe it takes courage and honesty to wear them because they draw quite some attention. In my experience so far, they've been more popular with women who have an established style and a confident look.
LINY: Your current collection was on display at the MAD About Jewelry 2023 exhibition and fair at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. Was this your first time in New York? How important was this for you in your career so far?
EK: Yes, this was the first time. I would have come back in 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic prevented me from coming. My jewelry has been seen several times in the US because jewelry collector Charon Kransen has shown my collection in several exhibitions, together with numerous other talented jewelry designers from all around the world. My work has been featured in Los Angeles, Palm Beach and on the New York Jewelry Week.
I think I can say that it was one of the most defining moments of my life. Here I would like to highlight the enormous help I received from the Liszt Institute during my journey and the immense love with which I was welcomed.
New York has taught me a lot, not just the exhibition, but the whole atmosphere of the place, the openness of the people and the immense buzz that has kept me going. It is a city that encourages you to explore and experience constant change, that makes you renew yourself time and time again - it was very inspiring to me.
LINY: How many different areas do you need to be skilled in to become a successful jewelry designer?
EK: That's a very exciting question as our profession is truly multi-disciplinary, it takes a lifetime to learn it. I was introduced to nitty gritty of jewelry making and silversmithing at the young age of fifteen. For me, it was difficult at the beginning to get to grips with it and to get a feel for how to work not only with metals but materials in general. It's a personal experience and everyone experiences it differently. If you have the openness and curiosity to create objects and you are persistent, I think the sky is the limit. The more we learn about the craft, the more we delve into it, the easier it is to express our feelings in this "language". However, I think one of the most important things is to be clear about the intentions that drive you to create, and to be as clear as possible about those intentions. I can't give you specific examples, but I think that, similar to the other areas of life, in creation it is honesty that leads to true contentment.
About the artist
A jewelry designer based in Budapest, Eszter Sára Kocsor seeks to give her wearers a glimpse of a different world. Her stainless steel “Mirror in Mirror” work came to life during the time she spent in Hildesheim, Germany and includes collections in both black or gold PVD (physical vapor deposition) entitled “Black Mirror” and “Gold Mirror”. This very strong coating makes the stainless steel even harder, scratch and wear resistant, thus ensuring its longevity. Having earned her degree at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest and at the HAWK University of Art and Design in Hildesheim, Germany, Kocsor's artworks have been featured in renowned locations and events such as the Los Angeles Art Fair, the New York City Jewellery Week, the Budapest Central Europen Fashion Week, the Design Museum of Barcelona and at the FISE gallery in Budapest.