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I was born and raised in Transylvania, Romania, as an ethnic Hungarian. I grew up in a regime where future was bleak and opportunities for minorities were scarce. After my attempts at university education were rejected I came to Canada. Although many summers of my childhood were spent at my woodcarver uncle's studio, I was not particularly encouraged to sculpt by anyone. I was about ten years old when I carved my first portrait with a pocket knife. At twenty one I discovered the figures of Margit Kovacs, a renowned Hungarian ceramist. Deeply affected by them, I suddenly realized I wanted to model figures. It took another ten years to actively pursue my dream. I enrolled in pottery and handbuilding classes at George Brown College and the Gardiner Museum in Toronto. I started working in papier mache in 2007 when I moved out of the city with my family. Papier maché seemed like a good temporary substitute for clay until finding adequate facilities. But as months and then years went by I found myself developing a close relationship with my new medium. Today I don't look at it as a substitute, but a wonderful material that willingly lends itself to experiments and ideas. For the last few years I have been exhibiting across Durham region, and received awards for my sculptures. My figurative sculptures draw inspiration from a wide range of sources. Historical references, Greek-Roman mythology, and deeper implications of everyday life equally offer possibilities for exploring uniqueness in gesture, form, drama, oddity, and humour. Old World/New World influences shape my perspective on my immediate surroundings and the larger view of things. Imprints from both worlds inspire me to create figures that do not belong to any specific era, yet aim to tell stories that are universally comprehensible. In this context intuition becomes an integral and critical component of the creative process. Colour is emerging as an important element of expression in my work, most often the colour red. While making conscious efforts not to overwhelm form, I find that strategically chosen colour creates tension that adds to the concept and "feel" of the sculptures. |