MUD-GOLD | Exhibition by graphic artist Orsolya Csilléry

The most important characteristics of Orsolya Csilléry's art are the elaborate craftsmanship of her images, her use of unique graphic techniques, and her cultivation of Hungarian artistic and intellectual traditions. Her work is influenced by Hungarian pastoral art and the beliefs and motifs of folk tales. She completed her higher education at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, majoring in graphic arts, and at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice, majoring in artist's books.

The title of the exhibition allows for numerous interpretations in light of the artist's work. In Old Hungarian, the word sárarany referred to pure gold, or yellow gold. This is the state of gold before it is processed, as it is found in nature, in the earth or in streams. In other words, the name of the material functions as an analogy to the process of creating a work of art, since the material becomes a creation, a work of art, through processing. At the same time, the word sár, meaning mud, as a state of the earth or soil, is also exciting for the artist as a substance that is worthless compared to gold, but which, deep in the forest, supplemented by fallen branches and leaves, also forms living matter, humus, which is essential for the life and death of natural beings. Therefore, in this context, it also carries the meaning of passing away. Meanwhile, of course, the subtle juxtaposition of the two materials within the compound word, as the two extremes of the scale of materiality, may also arise in our interpretation.

In our exhibition, the main emphasis is on landscapes inspired by the countryside around Rome and the Carpathian Basin. These images are mainly created with colored pencils on a watercolor background, are large in size, and create a special atmosphere. In addition to the usual color scheme of landscape depictions, he boldly uses shades of yellow or purple to color the sky or ground. The main organizing principle of these landscape portraits is the motif of the tree, both as a component of the forest and as a planned landscape element in a man-made garden. These images can also be understood as spiritual maps, in which the human and cosmic scales can be represented simultaneously.

In addition to the landscape paintings, we also present a selection of Csilléry's book illustrations. This work fits organically into the artist's oeuvre, as maintaining his artistic identity is an important consideration when undertaking illustrated books.