MAGYAR LÁSZLÓ

Member of the Society of Hungarian Artists of Transcarpathia named after Imre Revesz (since 1993), since 2002 – the head of it. Valid member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts (2006). He was awarded the Golden Cross for the Merit of the Hungarian Republic.

He was born in Chop, Transcarpathian region. He didn’t become a painter at once. In one of his interviews he said: “After serving in the army, I got a job in the souvenir shop of the collective farm "Friendship of Peoples" in Strumkivka village, Uzhhorod district. It was the 70s. A lot of enterprises of the region were specialized in souvenir products. I carved eagles, bears and other living creatures, and dreamt to enter the institute. But I fell in love which kept me from doing it. Thus, I decided to enter the college to be with my beloved.”

Thanks to the preliminary training at Petro Bertsyk, Magyar was enrolled as a sophomore. And in his third year, he worked as an artist-designer for the Uzhhorod district utility service. At that time the master was married and had a child, so he had to feed his family.

In 1981, he graduated from the Uzhhorod School of Applied Arts specialized in art metal processing. His teachers were Vasyl Petretskyi, Ahnesa Bachynska, Ivan Didyk, Viktor Demydiuk, Ivan Masniuk, and others.

A few years later he found a job at the Uzhhorod Garment Factory as a painter, where he was working six years. His wife also worked there. But the artist didn’t enjoy his work: "I had a desire to paint, to try myself in different genres and art directions. I wanted to create, but there was not enough time and strength," the artist said.

After the factory he worked in the stained-glass studio of the Art Fund with Volodymyr Kuznietsov, later he met other artists.

László Magyar worked in the field of decorative and fine arts. For some time, he worked as an artist-restorer in the Transcarpathian Regional Museum of Folk Architecture and Life.

Although he is a master in art metal, his heart always desired brushes and paints. The painting of László Magyar is compositionally and colourfully original – this is emphasized by art critics adding that his works do not look alike. Thus, in particular, an art critic Volodymyr Myshanych notices: "The artist must have a spectacular style that defines his often hidden temperament. The colour of the works is usually saturated and tonality range is wide. The author creates different surfaces that serve certain purposes."

László Magyar himself said about his art the following: "I think that in different periods of creativity in my works there can be traced certain influences. I consider myself an expressionist. But, of course, this is expressionism with certain signs of impressionism and other artistic trends. And there is nothing strange here – when I work I never limit myself. Some of my works are impressionistic, rather than expressionistic, which corresponds to my mood, innate temperament."

The artist is very freedom-loving – the freedom of creativity and self-expression is very important for him. "I do not want to work when I'm not interested when they tell me what and how to do. I think that's right. Now we see such a style of life – it’s a norm and no one is surprised by it. This is necessary for one’s self-realization. A person should look for himself," László said.

László Magyar was a participant in art exhibitions, plein airs and symposiums both in Ukraine and abroad. As the head of the Imre Revesz Society, he himself organized not one art plein air and always tried to choose an unusual and picturesque place for work. He invited artists from other regions and countries to Transcarpathia.

His works were exhibited in Hungary, Poland, Germany, Slovakia, etc., and now they are kept in private and museum collections of Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, the USA, Italy, etc.

Text: Kseniia Shokina
© Art & Culture Foundation Brovdi Art