The Meeting of Raku and Textile – Ágnes Soltész at the NUBU fashion house AW23/24 Exhibition
In the autumn of 2023, a distinctive encounter took place at the intersection of contemporary fashion and fine art. The exhibition connected to the NUBU fashion house AW23/24 collection evolved beyond a seasonal presentation into an independent artistic project with long-term presence. Among the exhibiting artists, Ágnes Soltész played a defining role, presenting her raku-fired ceramic works as an integral part of NUBU’s visual and conceptual universe.
The exhibition opened with a ceremonial outdoor reception in front of the NUBU House, transforming the street into a shared space for art, fashion, and community. Guests were welcomed by a live fashion presentation accompanied by music, creating an open yet intimate atmosphere that extended naturally into the surrounding urban environment. During the opening, speeches were delivered by Judit Garam, founder and creative director of NUBU, as well as by the exhibiting artists, Márta Kucsora and Ágnes Soltész, each reflecting on the collaboration and the creative processes behind the project.
Within this setting, Ágnes Soltész’s ceramic works resonated with particular strength. The surfaces of her raku pieces—marked by cracks, layered textures, and subtle tonal variations—bear the traces of natural processes and time. These qualities aligned closely with NUBU’s design philosophy, which values material honesty, imperfection, and the uniqueness of handcrafted creation. The unpredictability inherent in the raku firing process echoed the structured yet organic character of the AW23/24 collection, establishing a quiet dialogue between ceramic form and textile construction.
The exhibition’s conceptual depth was further enriched by the presence of painter Márta Kucsora. Her large-scale, expressive paintings formed a powerful visual counterpoint to Soltész’s restrained and contemplative ceramic forms. Despite their differing media, both artists share a sensitivity toward materiality, rhythm, and repetition, as well as an openness to imperfection and transformation—principles deeply connected to Japanese aesthetics and contemporary artistic thought.
Officially open from October 6, 2023, until January 6, 2024, the exhibition extended far beyond its initial timeframe. Following the opening, selected works continued to be displayed across various NUBU spaces and boutiques, remaining on view for nearly a year. This prolonged presence allowed the artworks to exist not merely as exhibited objects, but as living components of the brand’s everyday visual environment.
For Ágnes Soltész, this collaboration represented more than a single exhibition appearance. It offered an opportunity for contemporary ceramics to step into a new context, reaching audiences beyond the traditional gallery setting. The project stands as a compelling example of how fashion, fine art, and applied arts can intersect meaningfully, fostering a lasting and authentic artistic dialogue.
Rather than a fleeting event, the NUBU AW23/24 exhibition became an extended moment of presence—one in which material, form, and time converged in quiet harmony.
