Zsuzsa Szikra
Encyclopedia
Zsuzsa Szikra is a Hungarian painter whose works are marked by their poetic abstract character. She is also well known for her portraits. Zsuzsa Szikra is a member of the Association of Hungarian Creative Artists, in Hungarian Magyar Alkotóművészek Országos Egyesülete – MAOE.
in Hungary. Already at an early age Zsuzsa was influenced by the paintings and other forms of art her father made. The talents of her father, Janos Szikra, reached from making portraits to landscape painting, and to making stage decors for theatre productions.
During her childhood Zsuzsa spend her summer holidays with her grandmother on the shores of Lake Balaton
in Hungary. Ilona Takats was a talented poet and architect and had extensive contacts with the Hungarian writers of her time. Through this grandmother Zsuzsa met Gyula Illyes
the famous Hungarian writer. His books and the personal talks she had with Gyula Illyes influenced her later works of art.
Zsuzsa and her grandmother made long boat trips on the lake Balaton
which made a lasting impression on Zsuzsa and are reflected in her art.
Following her creative instincts Zsuzsa went to a special art high school in Pécs
, the Pécsi Művészeti Gimnázium és Szakközépiskola, where she learned to work with gobelins. At this high school she came in contact with the works of Victor Servranckx
, whose style was influenced by cubism
and constructivism
. After high school she got an entry to Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem in Hungarian, in Budapest. Here she studied under Simon Sarkantyu and the famous Jeno Barcsay
who made the “Anatomy For Artists”, which has been translated into over fifty languages. Zsuzsa Szikra studied together with Tamás Vilmos Kovács, Mária Mihályfi, Janos Kalmar and Zsuzsa Lics.
Artist life
Zsuzsa Szikra was born in 1951 in the Szechenyi castle which served as a hospital and which was situated in the town of MarcaliMarcali
Marcali is a town in Somogy county, Hungary.- External links :* *...
in Hungary. Already at an early age Zsuzsa was influenced by the paintings and other forms of art her father made. The talents of her father, Janos Szikra, reached from making portraits to landscape painting, and to making stage decors for theatre productions.
During her childhood Zsuzsa spend her summer holidays with her grandmother on the shores of Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of its foremost tourist destinations. As Hungary is landlocked , Lake Balaton is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea"...
in Hungary. Ilona Takats was a talented poet and architect and had extensive contacts with the Hungarian writers of her time. Through this grandmother Zsuzsa met Gyula Illyes
Gyula Illyés
Gyula Illyés was a Hungarian poet and novelist. He was one of the so called népi writers, named so because they aimed to show – propelled by strong sociological interest and left-wing convictions – the disadvantageous conditions of their native land.-Early life:He was born...
the famous Hungarian writer. His books and the personal talks she had with Gyula Illyes influenced her later works of art.
Zsuzsa and her grandmother made long boat trips on the lake Balaton
Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of its foremost tourist destinations. As Hungary is landlocked , Lake Balaton is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea"...
which made a lasting impression on Zsuzsa and are reflected in her art.
Following her creative instincts Zsuzsa went to a special art high school in Pécs
Pécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
, the Pécsi Művészeti Gimnázium és Szakközépiskola, where she learned to work with gobelins. At this high school she came in contact with the works of Victor Servranckx
Victor Servranckx
Victor Servranckx was a Belgian abstract painter and designer.He was born in Diegem and studied from 1913–1917 at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. There, in 1916, he met René Magritte, with whom he wrote "Pure Art: A Defence of the Aesthetic" in 1922. His style was influenced by...
, whose style was influenced by cubism
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
and constructivism
Constructivism (art)
Constructivism was an artistic and architectural philosophy that originated in Russia beginning in 1919, which was a rejection of the idea of autonomous art. The movement was in favour of art as a practice for social purposes. Constructivism had a great effect on modern art movements of the 20th...
. After high school she got an entry to Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem in Hungarian, in Budapest. Here she studied under Simon Sarkantyu and the famous Jeno Barcsay
Jeno Barcsay
Jenő Barcsay was a Hungarian painter.Born in Katona, Hungary in 1900, Barcsay was a descendant of an aristocratic family from Transylvania. In 1919, he went to Budapest where he began his studies in the Art School and graduated in 1924...
who made the “Anatomy For Artists”, which has been translated into over fifty languages. Zsuzsa Szikra studied together with Tamás Vilmos Kovács, Mária Mihályfi, Janos Kalmar and Zsuzsa Lics.
Poetic abstract art
Like Viktor Vasarely, a Hungarian French painter, Zsuzsa Szikra was schooled at a Pécs high school and later at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem in Hungarian. Both painters have abstract geometrical works being the art of Szikra Zsuzsa more poetical.Exhibitions
- 1977 Berlin
- 1978 Salgotarjan,Tavaszi Tárlat, Hungary
- 1979 Budapest, Mücsarnok Studio 79 and Pecs, Pécsi Galéria, Pécsi Művészetiből indultak, Hungary
- 1980 Szentendre, Vajda Lajos Studio, Hungary
- 1981 Szekszárd, Babits Mihály competition, Babits-pályázat, Szekszárd, Hungary
- 1982 Gyor, Madach competition, Madách-pályázat, Győr, Hungary
- 1984 Veszprém, Hungary
- 1985 Budapest, Lila Iskola, Hungary
- 1985 Nagykanizsa, Egry Jozsef terem, Hungary
- 1986 Hulst, Galerie van Geyt, The Netherlands
- 1987 Marcali, Bernath Muzeum, Hungary
- 1988 Budapest Duna Galeria, Hungary
- 1996 Sint Niklaas, Internationale Exlibris competition, Nemzetközi Exlibris pályázat, Belgium
- 1997 Fonyod, Toparti Nyari Galeria, Hungary, Pecs,Pécsi Galéria, Hungary
- 2002 Hulst museum de vier ambachten, The Netherlands
- 2007 Internet exhibition; Venice Carnaval
- 2010 Planned: Duna Palota, Danube Palace, Budapest Spring Festival,March 2010, Budapest, Hungary
- 2010 Planned: Saarbruecken, Germany, Autumn 2010
Study trips
- Art trip to Greece, 1982
- Art trip to Paris (LouvreLouvreThe Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
and Centre Georges PompidouCentre Georges PompidouCentre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...
) and Rome (Vatican MuseumsVatican MuseumsThe Vatican Museums , in Viale Vaticano in Rome, inside the Vatican City, are among the greatest museums in the world, since they display works from the immense collection built up by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the centuries, including some of the most renowned classical sculptures and...
, Rafaello, Michelangelo) And Florence (UffiziUffiziThe Uffizi Gallery , is a museum in Florence, Italy. It is one of the oldest and most famous art museums of the Western world.-History:...
museum), Venice (Guggenheim Museum Venice, Georgione’s La Tempesta), 1977 - Art trip to St. Petersburg Hermitage and Moscow (Pushkin MuseumPushkin MuseumThe Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is the largest museum of European art in Moscow, located in Volkhonka street, just opposite the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour....
), 1976 - Art trip to Madrid (Prado) 1980
- Art trips to London (TateTate-Places:*Tate, Georgia, a town in the United States*Tate County, Mississippi, a county in the United States*Táté, the Hungarian name for Totoi village, Sântimbru Commune, Alba County, Romania*Tate, Filipino word for States...
Gallery, British MuseumBritish MuseumThe British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
) 1986 – 2000
Illustrated Books
- Timmermans, Peter & Szikra Zsuzsa: Een leven aan de Antwerpse haven : Beer Struyf / PeterTimmermans ; with drawings from Zsuzsa Szikra. Ljubljana : His Story, 1996. ISBN 978-963-200-548-5
- Sponselee, George & Zsuzsa Szikra: Zou 't beter zijn, 't zou niet deugen. With drawings from Zsuzsa Szikra 1989.
- Sponselee, George & Zsuzsa Szikra: Katrien, een verhaal uit het Zeeuws-Vlaamse land . Hulst, 1997 with drawings from Zsuzsa Szikra
- Sponselee George & Szikra Zsuzsa: Frida, Een verhaal uit het Zeeuws-Vlaamse land. With drawings from Zsuzsa Szikra. 1992
- Zsuzsa Szikra: Poetic Mind, A Journey Through Colors. 45 poetic abstract paintings by Zsuzsa Szikra/ text Philip Sparks. Liszt Press, 2010. ISBN 978-961-223-826-1
External links
- http://www.kieselbach.hu/s-6342
- http://www.tankonyvtar.hu/konyvek/kortars-magyar-muveszeti/kortars-magyar-muveszeti-081028-2479
- http://artportal.hu/lexikon/muveszek/szikra_zsuzsanna
- http://the-artists.org/portfolio/Zsuzsa-Szikra
- http://www.artistportfolio.net/index.php?secret=141&artist_id=11716
- http://www.artbank.com/artists.aspx?letter=S
- http://orlikon.hu/festo2.htm
- http://www.kunstbus.nl/kunst/zsuzsa+szikra.html