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A centenary commemorative exhibition opened on the 7th of December at MODEM Center for Modern and Contemporary Art in Debrecen entitled “Sheafs are dancing – Égerházi Imre 100”. The renowned painter, Imre Égerházi, was born in Hajdúhadház, Hungary, on the 1st of September, 1925. He was a descendant of János Egerházi Képíró, a 17th-century fresco artist from Mezőbánd, Transylvania. In the early 1930s, as a small child, he moved with his parents to Debrecen, where he later studied at the free school of fine arts under the guidance of painter József Menyhárt.
Égerházi’s art was shaped by his own life, landscape, community, and personal experiences. His works are characterised by allegorical depictions of natural objects, houses, and landscapes, especially the Great Plain, Hortobágy, and Transylvania, but also by an atmosphere of sacrality, transience and contemplation. The structural order of his paintings was shaped by folk art and Art Nouveau; his colour culture (blue, grey, brown, in his late period red, ochre, sun colours, lighter textures) was influenced by post-impressionism and his artistic attitude by the painting of the Great Plain.
He initiated and contributed to the creation of artist colonies (Hajdúböszörmény International Artist Colony, Hortobágy Creative Camp) and creative communities and was the spiritual director of the creation of art ensembles. For decades, he built unique, open art communities of Hungarian painters, graphic artists, and photographers, who were joined in large numbers by artists from all over the world. In this way, he connected Hajdúság and Hortobágy to the international circulation of art.
The exhibition aims to present a wide spectrum of his rich oeuvre, showcasing the fruits of his prolific creative periods, the characteristic themes he chose, and unique technical solutions.
A series of 9 paintings, based on his near-death experiences, will be shown in a separate room. This is the first time since their creation that this extraordinary series of works has been shown together. In addition to the works of art on display, the exhibition’s creators will also show an animated film made from the near-death paintings and Imre Égerházi will narrate his experiences.
Artist: Imre Égerházi
Curator: Balázs Feledy
Date: 7 December, 2024 – 12 January, 2025
Location: MODEM Center for Modern and Contemporary Art
Source:modemart.hu/en