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Paintings by Győző Somogyi

Exhibition dates: 10 October – 2 January, 2004

The painter and printmaker Győző Somogyi (born 1942) lives in the village Salföld in the northern Balaton area. Though he was born and studied in Budapest, he has lead a nature-oriented life of traditional farming and breeding livestock for decades. He first received wide public attention in 1977 when he won the prize of the Biennal of Prints and Drawings of Miskolc. Since then, he has presented his characteristic art, independent from all stylistic movements, in numerous exhibitions nationwide. He does not scorn the use of prototypes and shows affinity with the direct expression of folk art and naive painting. His preferred subject matters are the landscape of the upper Balaton area, the great figures of Hungarian history, and the Christian sphere of thought. He reviews the medieval and modern artistic heritage with historical precision, and strives for continuity with the painting and prints of earlier centuries by reusing elements from them. His famous series depict the outstanding personalities of the Hungarian past and the saints of the Árpád house.