Ferdinand Chrenka
“God, that’s beautiful, what does it cost and where can I buy it?” These honest words are often people’s reaction when looking at an original production of Slovak design. We have the ability to come up with unique, exceptional design, but we don’t know how to sell it. Commerce has become a synonym for sordid, questionable business. We forget that in the past, a skilled craftsman designed and produced the practical objects that he sold. It is a dry but quite a clear statement. The link between craft and sales was natural. Bowls, spoons, salt cellars, wooden mugs, cradles, toys. The craftsman’s talent and skill was the lifeblood of a whole family, often a family with many children. He produced and sold things, end of the story. Regions were known for their fairs: Trnava, Kežmarok and others; craft was socially respected. The craftsman was acclaimed, his production quickly disappeared from the stall, and people often needed to wait to buy his products.