Zoltán Tóth is one of the most outstanding and talented representatives of the middle generation of Hungarian metal and goldsmith artists. His professional humility and respect for his craft are coupled with a strong sense of responsibility. On his website he defines himself as a jewellery designer, although his career is far more multifaceted than that. In the traditional sense, he is a true goldsmith-artist who, unlike many of his contemporaries, designs not only jewellery but also shop signs, medals, awards, and public artworks. A Renaissance man, he takes equal pleasure in execution and design, harmoniously and skilfully combining ancient goldsmithing techniques with contemporary materials and technologies.
STUDIES AND EARLY CAREER
As a child, he showed considerable talent for drawing. Although there were no artists in his family, his path towards applied arts was remarkably straightforward. His primary school art teacher recognized his talent and encouraged him to apply to the Secondary School of Fine and Applied Arts (also called “ Kisképző”). He always preferred drawing with a pencil and could never imagine himself becoming a painter. Although sculpture interested him, as a teenager he did not feel the discipline offered enough freedom. His future was decided during an open day at the Kisképző when he stepped into the goldsmithing workshop. There he saw objects made from a wide variety of materials and in countless dimensions, ranging from jewellery to works connected with architecture. This specialisation appeared to be the most liberating, offering opportunities to experiment with numerous techniques and materials.
During his years there, his ability to represent the world developed significantly. In his final year, he won first prize in a drawing competition. As a reward, he received two books presenting the work of goldsmiths who had become defining figures of the profession not only through their artistic practice but also as teachers. One volume was devoted to József Engelsz and the other to Vladimir Péter. This was the first time he consciously encountered Vladimir’s work and way of thinking.
The years spent at the Kisképző were primarily a period of searching for his own path. One thing, however, was clear from the outset: he wanted to work independently in a goldsmith’s workshop, designing and creating objects that he personally found exciting and meaningful. This ambition has remained unchanged ever since.
He was not admitted to the Hungarian College of Applied Arts on his first attempt, but he did not regard this as a failure. During the following two years, he completed a general engraving programme and enrolled in the preparatory course led by Zoltán Egri. The experience proved revelatory. The emphasis placed on liberating thought and on design itself fundamentally changed his perspective. It was here that he truly understood that jewellery could represent an entire world. The knowledge and experiences he acquired had a lasting influence on both his way of thinking and his subsequent career. Equipped with a solid foundation, he was eventually admitted to the institution.
During his studies, his interests remained diverse. Although he enjoyed designing jewellery, he was equally fascinated by larger-scale projects traditionally associated with industrial and applied design. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that for his diploma project he designed not a jewellery collection but a public fountain. He still stands by its fundamental concept, although with the perspective of time he can also recognize its shortcomings and flaws.
The influence of two of his teachers, András Bánfalvy and Vladimir Péter, is undeniable, extending far beyond the practical lessons they taught him about designing objects. Vladimir’s personality and powerful artistic language provided guidance for generations of students, many of whom never entirely escaped the influence of his style. In Tóth’s case, however, this influence is less immediately apparent. Already while studying the book on Vladimir that he had received at the Kisképző, it became evident to him that they shared a similar sculptural way of thinking. Both artists are drawn to the duality of formal closure and inner tension.
THE LAYERS OF A MULTIFACETED CAREER
JEWELLERY / THAT WHICH ADORNS
After receiving his diploma, Tóth undertook larger commissions related to architecture, designing lamps and shop signs alongside jewellery. Ultimately, however, the principal direction of his career was determined by a group jewellery exhibition organized by the Erdész Gallery in Szentendre. Participants were selected based on university recommendations, and the positive reception encouraged him to view jewellery-making as a serious profession and vocation.
Zoltán Tóth is simultaneously a designer, sculptor, and goldsmith. He is never deterred by labour-intensive surface treatments or manufacturing processes, since such methods ensure complete uniqueness and a more striking overall effect. He practises chasing and repoussé, incorporates figuratively carved stones and bones, and enjoys manipulating surfaces through patination and precious-metal coatings. Following careful planning and preparation, he works intuitively, sensing when an object requires further refinement. He is particularly attracted to the combination of organic, soft forms with strict geometric structures. The formal tension created by this duality has fascinated him continuously for decades. He feels he has achieved success when these contrasting qualities are present in equal measure and harmonious balance within a single object.
His jewellery is always representational. He develops the form while simultaneously searching for the appropriate materials. His most important source of inspiration is nature and the animal kingdom, although he also borrows elements from architecture.
Between 1998 and 2008 he created figurative jewellery. Initially working mainly in silver, he gradually expanded his range of materials, while his restrained plasticity evolved into a genuinely sculptural mode of thinking. The ring featuring Saint George Slaying the Dragon (2000; Bakelite, bone, silver) is a complete miniature sculpture with an arcade-like pedestal. The subject had already interested him during his years at the Kisképző, where he first modelled the small equestrian sculpture in wax before later casting it at school. While the composition draws upon medieval representations of Saint George, the dragon is given an unusually equal visual and symbolic presence alongside the saint. Both figures appear light and airy. The design of the ring shank not only makes the piece wearable but also allows it to be displayed as a sculpture when placed on a flat surface. A few years later, this remarkable piece entered the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts, as did the Gém nyaklánc (Heron Necklace, 2008; Bakelite [presumably], bronze, silver, mother-of-pearl, tropical walnut) and the Apróvad karkötő (Small Game Bracelet, 2007; steel, Bakelite, zircon, silver, chitin). The meticulously crafted silver trophy antlers create a striking contrast with the sharply defined geometric Bakelite surface. The Bakelite serves as a background for numerous silver animal figures in motion, including cats, leopards, and birds. In these animal figures, it is the beauty of movement that captures the artist’s imagination; he then refines these forms until they become suitable for jewellery. Set against Bakelite and synthetic resin backgrounds, the elegantly rendered animals evoke the atmosphere of Art Deco jewellery from the 1920s.
Between 2003 and 2004 he began employing the Japanese mother-of-pearl inlay technique known as shibayama. He first encountered the method while restoring an ornate ivory vase. Driven by a desire to understand how things are made, he attempted, as an engraver, to decipher the technique independently. Since shibayama decoration is most spectacular on larger objects, it presented a particular challenge to create scenes in miniature where all its subtle qualities could be fully expressed.
The technique allows for highly decorative, meticulously detailed imagery and surfaces and is particularly effective in the depiction of plants and animals. Jewellery created through the fusion of Eastern and Western goldsmithing traditions often shares affinities with Japanese artistic compositions, characterized by unusual cropping and framing. Tóth enjoys combining precious materials such as noble metals, mother-of-pearl, and ivory with modern materials including Corian, resin, and Bakelite. As he has stated:
“I enjoy combining different materials instead of working solely with metal. Throughout the history of jewellery and goldsmithing, exotic, precious and unusual materials such as ivory, ostrich eggs, coral and exotic woods have always been used. Over time some of these materials have been excluded in certain areas, but I still enjoy working with them.”
The results of his experiments were met with appreciation, and he increasingly incorporated the Japanese technique into his jewellery. Around this time, he also began rethinking the very nature of jewellery. Since jewellery exists for its own sake, why should it not be exciting, abundant, and assertively present? If a designer creates unique pieces, why should they not go further and truly adorn? Through his richly detailed and classically inspired works, he reintroduced a sense of elegance and refinement characteristic of Hungarian jewellery at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, thereby renewing the genre itself.
The Kapcsolat nyakék (Connection Necklace, 2012; silver, Bakelite, mother-of-pearl, tropical walnut, coral), executed using the Japanese mother-of-pearl inlay technique, focuses on the bond between two birds. The scene is framed only by a few branches and iridescent flowers. One side of the oval pictorial field is enclosed by a completely asymmetrical Bakelite panel fitted to the composition, functioning almost as a picture frame. The light-coloured image field, black Bakelite, and reddish-brown coral create a powerful contrast.
The Szivargyújtó gyűrű (Lighter Ring, 2017; silver, Corian, artificial ivory, mother-of-pearl, turquoise) departs thematically from his usual shibayama jewellery, yet once again contrasts a black ring body with an ivory-coloured oval pictorial field. The ring shank is particularly innovative: the asymmetrically elongated form covers all of the wearer’s fingers. The central motif is the flame igniting at the end of a cigar, while carved and inlaid mother-of-pearl details depict part of a face holding the cigar and fingers holding a match. Through its atmosphere, the ring evokes a world and lifestyle that have now almost entirely disappeared.
Movement is also central to the Kolibri nyaklánc sorozat (Hummingbird Necklace series, 2010), where a small synthetic-resin bird hangs from a fine thread and responds to the wearer’s movements through an ingenious design solution. His close observation of birds’ wings and plumage eventually led him to the motif of angel wings, which has become a recurring element in several works, including Vörös szárny nyakék (Red Wing Necklace, 2013; silver, fluorite) and Egy pillanat nyakék (A Moment Necklace, 2013; silver, Bakelite). A contemporary social phenomenon became the subject of his Szelfi vagy Tükör (Selfie or Mirror) series. The Tükör II. nyaklánc (Mirror II Necklace, 2011; Bakelite, silver, rock crystal) is characterized by a purified formal language and restrained material use; from the silver relief, the black mobile phone appears almost to leap out of the pictorial field.
In 2018 he was among the first artists to receive a creative scholarship from the Hungarian Academy of Arts (MMA). He regarded the three-year programme as an exceptional opportunity. During this period, numerous questions related to form-making occupied his attention. The tension between shells and plates, and between open and closed forms, became central concerns. His objective within the scholarship programme was the design and creation of clear, contemporary forms.
One notable result was the Aranygorgó nyakék (Golden Gorgon Necklace, 2019; gilded copper, gilded silver, Corian, patinated bronze, pearl), which addresses a mythological subject rarely encountered in Tóth’s oeuvre while simultaneously exploring sculptural concerns. During the same year, as part of the scholarship programme, he designed and created the Mennyei pillanat gyűrű (Heavenly Moment Ring), which was exhibited at the 13th Goldsmith Art Biennale.
Tóth began exhibiting at the Biennales while still very young. He regards the event as a unique opportunity not only within Hungary but also within Europe, as it allows emerging talents to exhibit alongside highly experienced masters of the profession. The 2021 exhibition was organized around the theme Metamorphosis. The choice of theme was undoubtedly influenced by the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and by the death of goldsmith Katalin Katona, member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts and, until then, the sole organizer of the Goldsmith Art Biennales.
The ring he exhibited there pays tribute to her memory on several levels. It continues the Renaissance tradition of memento mori jewellery, while the angel-wing motif not only evokes a supernatural existence but also references a motif frequently employed by Katona herself.
The three-piece Candy series, created during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, can likewise be associated with the traditions of vanitas and memento mori jewellery. The year brought unprecedented uncertainty, tension, and fear into people’s lives. Contradictory reports and news of pandemic-related deaths followed one another relentlessly. Tóth responded artistically to this situation.
He selected the skull as his central motif, a symbol of mortality and death for centuries, but also a fundamental element in drawing and modelling studies. He fragmented the motif, modelled the surface in relief, and paired it with a large, candy-coloured faceted gemstone in each pendant. In Candy II, a gilded skull fragment is accompanied by an angel-wing motif and a vivid purple amethyst. The resulting work departs from tradition, offering multiple layers of interpretation and deliberately unsettling the viewer. The skull motif only becomes apparent after prolonged observation, and once all the symbols have been decoded, the tension between title and subject invites further reflection.
Among the jewellery created in recent years are more minimalist works employing only one or two materials and typically dominated by a single motif. One example is the „Ujjak” bross (“Fingers” Brooch, 2023; Corian, silver), produced through hand engraving. The object depicts female fingers with the long fingernails that are currently fashionable, grasping a jewel-like form. The artist sought to capture the gesture realistically and therefore chose a simplified form and monochrome Corian. As with many of his works, the brooch raises numerous questions. It is not clear what the viewer is seeing, and the artist himself only coyly hints at the provocative reality underlying the image.
Throughout his career, Tóth has examined a variety of contemporary social phenomena through his works. These include mobile-phone use and selfie culture; during the COVID pandemic he developed a personal mythology for processing loss; and he has also responded to the climate anxiety characteristic of Generation Z through the necklace „Amikor a dél-ázsiai utazásodat teljesen tönkreteszi a klímaszorongásod” (“When Your Climate Anxiety Completely Ruins Your South Asian Trip”, 2022; Corian, gilded copper). Once again, he chose Corian to model the face and hand fragment, complemented by a gilded copper plaque bearing the inscription indicated in the title. The edges of the plaque terminate in stylized palm-tree motifs. Such an explicit clarification of title and theme is unusual in his practice, as he often prefers to trigger a chain of personal associations in the viewer.
His distinctive, powerful, and highly characteristic jewellery pieces are generally unique works, although some designs are occasionally produced in small series of only a few examples.
COINS
From 2012 onwards, Zoltán Tóth was able to make particularly effective use of his experience as an engraver. That year he won, for the first time, a call for proposals issued by the Hungarian National Bank for the design of a commemorative coin, and since then he has designed new coins almost every year. In each case, his aim has been to create a contemporary, engaging, yet readily understandable and easily interpretable coin that responds sensitively to the specific theme and requirements of the competition.
His first winning design commemorated the centenary of the Hungarian Scout Association. Alongside the obligatory inscriptions on the obverse, the coin features the Hungarian Scout fleur-de-lis, whose three branches are united by the Holy Crown of Hungary. The Scout flag was not rendered through conventional design solutions. The reverse depicts a hat-wearing scout sounding a bugle in profile. The composition is asymmetrical: the figure occupies the lower-left section of the coin, while the bugle effectively divides the image field in two. The deliberately “empty” area represents the space through which the sharply projected sound of the bugle travels. The unconventional composition drew inspiration from the works of Russian Constructivists such as Vladimir Tatlin and Kazimir Malevich, as well as from Actionist posters.
The following year, in 2013, he designed a silver commemorative coin marking the centenary of the birth of Sándor Weöres. The final result emerged from a lengthy design process preceded by thorough research. He not only read the complete works of the poet but also studied contemporary recollections and memoirs about him. In his own words, he succeeded in grasping something of Weöres’s life, of what he calls “Weöres-ness.”
On the reverse of the coin, the writer appears in old age, dressed in a suit but barefoot. After becoming deeply familiar with Weöres’s life story, Tóth based the composition on an imaginary photograph. The only background element is a square frame, open to multiple interpretations. It may be understood as the frame of the imagined image, but it can also evoke the “frameworks” present throughout the artist’s life – frameworks from which he consistently stood apart. Here too, Tóth succeeds in fusing a highly closed geometric frame with the writer’s soft, organic form into a harmonious unity.
Although the themes of commemorative coins are always predetermined, and historical figures must remain recognizable, Tóth consistently finds original and compelling visual solutions regardless of subject matter. One of his distinctive working methods is his use of a harder type of plaster for engraving and modelling coin designs, enabling him to feel the material more directly during the process.
PUBLIC ARTWORKS / A CHANGE OF SCALE
Public artworks have always interested Tóth from the perspective of the viewer, and whenever possible he sought opportunities to test himself on larger-scale projects. (This interest had already manifested itself in his diploma project and in the lamps and shop signs he designed after graduating from college.) Nevertheless, from the early 2000s onward, his primary focus remained jewellery design. In 2021, he received a commission from the then owner of the Asterisk Gallery (Budapest, Papnövelde Street 8) to design and create an architectural sculpture. The resulting monkey figure, measuring 120 centimetres in height, was fashioned from repoussé and raised patinated and gold-leafed copper sheet. The work proved so successful that the owner retained it even after the gallery underwent a change of name. The decorative monkey, distinguished by its long tail, consists of a body assembled from smaller metal plates held together by clearly visible screws. In recent years, Tóth has become increasingly preoccupied with the relationship between the visible and the invisible, and with the juxtaposition of micro- and macro-dimensions. The deliberate emphasis placed on the fastening elements was the result of conscious design decisions. The finished sculpture simultaneously conveys a modern, industrial character while maintaining a fundamentally classical formal language.
A few years later, in the autumn of 2025, his most recent public sculpture – the Margaret Thatcher Memorial – was inaugurated. He won the opportunity to design the monument for Millenáris Park through an invited competition. Although he briefly considered creating a traditional full-length figurative monument, he soon rejected the idea.
During the multi-stage digital design process, he chose three-dimensional drawing rather than mathematically based vertical modelling. The result is a highly contemporary and innovative memorial that nevertheless remains accessible and understandable to a broad audience. It differs substantially from many public monuments erected in recent years while fitting seamlessly into its surroundings.
The monument consists of two principal units. One “pillar” was specifically designed to carry texts and inscriptions, while the other evokes the figure of Margaret Thatcher. On the textual pillar, large empty surfaces create a striking contrast with lace-like perforated inscriptions. The figurative section cannot be conventionally divided into a pedestal and a sculpture; rather, it consists of lower and upper zones that stand in deliberate opposition to one another.
The lower section is made of iron, while the upper section is fabricated from stainless steel. Although the material choice naturally evokes the epithet “Iron Lady,” Tóth’s decision was actually inspired by the site itself – the former Ganz factory – as well as by the materials’ structural capacities and their responses to weather conditions and changing light.
The meticulous design process, which took every environmental factor into consideration, explains why the monument appears so naturally integrated into its location. Its precise placement was determined by the orientation of the surrounding groups of trees.
When approaching the project, Tóth was not primarily concerned with Margaret Thatcher’s contemporary political evaluation. The public perception of the “Iron Lady” was already controversial during her lifetime and remains so today. What interested him instead was her determination and ability to withstand difficult circumstances. Members of his generation encountered Thatcher largely through television news broadcasts, where the square format of the screen framed the experience. This audiovisual memory inspired the monument’s upper section: a slightly horizontally elongated square opening containing a portrait defined by her characteristic features.
The “relief” itself was assembled from small square steel elements welded together. The steel face produces different visual effects under varying weather conditions. Viewed from behind and at certain angles, sunlight transforms it into an almost holographic image. As in his jewellery, one can observe in this public sculpture the tension between abstract, purified forms and meticulously rendered figurative elements – a tension that, through the artist’s hand, invariably resolves itself into a harmonious whole.
CURRENT WORKS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Zoltán Tóth’s career is remarkably diverse, yet it is far from complete. He is currently helping to educate and guide future generations of designers while continuing to create jewellery for commissions and exhibitions. At the same time, he hopes to receive further opportunities to realise large-scale public artworks, perhaps even bolder and more distilled than those he has produced thus far.
Meanwhile, he continues to formulate new professional questions and challenges for himself. At present, he is particularly interested in issues of function, definability, and encodability. Through his most recent works, he seeks answers to questions such as whether an object must necessarily be categorised, whether practical function is always required, what kinds of thoughts and emotions an object can generate if it has no predetermined function, and how such an object might affect its surroundings.
What would happen if a spatial sculpture were not required to respond to any social or political issue, and were instead defined solely by its environment and its presence? Many applied artists have grappled with such questions, which ultimately lead to the boundary between applied art and fine art.
Tóth himself occupies a position somewhere between the consciously designing applied artist-goldsmith and the instinctive, gifted creative artist. Through his new works, he hopes to challenge his audience – to leave viewers uncertain about the emotions the observed object has evoked within them.
Judging by his career to date, his experiments have consistently met with success, and there is little doubt that he has already found his own answers to the questions he continues to pose.