I am Mónika Szabolcsi, a feltmaker, but I'm most interested in making felt footwear. It is very important for me to pass on the knowledge and to preserve the traditional techniques for the next generations.

For me, feltmaking started as a hobby, which developed into a love of creating, later into the art of creating, and now it has become my passion. Feltmaking is about continuous learning, expanding knowledge, and experimenting. Felt itself is the potential. The wonder is that you can make anything from it, whether it is a child's toy, a bag, a garment, an accessory or even shoes. So one is constantly on the lookout for possibilities, and of course tries everything. At the professional training at the House of Heritage, I learnt the basic techniques, traditional shapes and patterns. Whenever I could, I went to masters at home and abroad, from whom I learned a lot: Németh Bea, Vetró Mihály, Vidák István, Nagy Mari, Pócs Judit, Viktoria and Szergej Zsezsera, Csille Márti, Szabó Nadia, Kovács Gabriella, Kostyál Erika, Corinna Nitschmann.

I also had the opportunity to learn about today's more modern techniques, but for me the biggest catharsis was boot making. I met my Ukrainian instructors for the first time in January 2017 and they introduced me to making shoes, and boots from felt. The boots - which I have been wearing in winter ever since - are fantastic because they have rubber soles, so they are insulated and warm in wet weather even in urban conditions. It's particularly handy for those whose foot shape is different from the average for some reason, as in this case you can felt the footwear directly onto the foot of the model.

It takes at least a week to make a pair of felt shoes, not only because of the time needed for the work, but also because of the importance of the drying time (you can only sew the sole on dry shoes). I pay great attention to the design. The usability and aesthetics of the objects are very important to me. Most importantly, I want these two things to be in harmony with each other.

Exhibitions:

In recent years, my works have been exhibited at the "Népi Iparművészeti" museum in the exhibition "Játéktól a nesterségig", and I have been a solo exhibitor at the "Pótkulcs", where the main focus was female diversity, and feminine symbols on felt. Some of my work was taken to Serbia for a travelling exhibition, organised by the Hungarian Heritage House, as part of a programme to promote folk arts and crafts. I have also participated several times in the "Mesterségek ünnepe", running a folk playhouse and giving felting demonstrations. Some of my works were shown at the Műcsarnok, "Hand-Mű-Remek" exhibition, and most recently at the "XVII. Országos Népművészeti" central-hungarian region exhibition at the Zichy Castle, Zsámbék, and at the Hungarian Heritage House, at the "Élő népművészet" Exhibition.