HORANGOZO MIKLOS

Honoured Master of Folk Art of Ukraine (2004). Laureate of the All-Union Festivals of Folk Art in Moscow (1983, 1987). A member of the Society of Artists in Solnok.

He was born in Shalanky village, Vynohradiv district of the Transcarpathian region. He graduated from high school. Worked at one of the factories of the district. Then he served in the Soviet army. The inner desire to create did not leave the rural boy. His first teacher and mentor was the teacher from Fanchykivska high school Stepan Kutlan. There Miklos passed through a good school of plein air painting, which he regularly returned to throughout his creative work. Moreover, the artist's work was formed under the influence of such famous artists of Transcarpathia as Y. Bokshai, G. Gluck, A. Kotska, Z. Sholtes, V. Mykyta, S. Petki, and A. Horvat. In 1960 – 1966, he studied at the Moscow People's University of Arts named after Nadiia Krupska.

There are thematic works, landscapes, portraits, still lifes among the artist's masterpieces. The author had many sketches in pencil on paper and with oil on canvas. On the canvases of M. Horangozo, one can see the richness of colour, the flow of ocherous, blue, red shades in combination with white, skilful use of chiaroscuro. His emotions, his contact with nature the artist conveyed in the extremely intense colour scale, he perceived the world in an uncontrollable movement, which is subordinated to the form and colour.

The artist loved his characters, reflected their spiritual purity, emphasized a harmonious unity with nature. The author was anxious to convey the life of the peasants, their workdays and rest. He highlighted the national character, images that are inextricably linked with folklore, rituals, old customs, holidays. Over time in the works of the artist, it appeared a kind of colouring, inherent only to Miklos Horangozo. The artist concentrated his attention not only on revealing the characteristic features of one’s personality, he was also interested in the attitude of this person to the world around him/her. The artist was always in the impetuous search. Varying of the topic could be endless until his imaginative and picturesque possibilities were exhausted until he created things that would satisfy his inner captious voice.

Participant in regional, national and international exhibitions (since 1961). Laureate of the All-Union Festivals of Folk Art in Moscow (1983, 1987). In 2004, he was honoured with a commemorative medal on the occasion of the Day of Hungarian Culture. In 2003, on the occasion of the Year of Culture in Ukraine, Miklos Horangozo was awarded the diploma of the Ministry of Culture and Arts of Ukraine. He was the first who got the art award named after Simon Hollosy, founded in 2008 in Transcarpathia, for his significant personal contribution to the development of the All-Hungarian art in the Carpathian basin.

Miklos Horangozo held 50 personal and more than 20 collective exhibitions in Uzhhorod, Kyiv, Moscow, numerous cities of Hungary and Austria. His works can be found in private collections of Hungary, Canada, Austria, Germany, Italy, the USA, Israel, Slovenia, and Romania.