Artists



Szemadám, György

Biography:

1947 he was born on 25th October, in Budapest

1967-75. Attendant, then main attendant in charge of big cats in Budapest ZOO
Since 1969 he has been an exhibiting artist, with 49 individual exhibitions so far in Hungary and abroad (Vienna, Prague, Moscow)
Since 1977 he has been a member of the painter department at “Art Fund” (from 1991: Association of Hungarian Artists).
Since 1978 he has published several essays, studies and fine art-, photo- and film-critics on Art History and Culture History. Also he has opened several exhibitions, and gave lectures in different topics.
1979. he won the 3rd prize on the competition of the Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists.
1979-1993. he leads Art faculties and artists’ camps for both children and adults. He coaches Art Therapy lessons in Mental Institutes, and works in Family Help Centres as a creative teacher for disadvantaged children and young people.
Since 1980 he has been a member of the Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists.
1981. he won the 3rd prize on the competition of 2nd District VB Cultural Centre, on the occasion of the International Year of the Disabled.
1981. he won a shared 1st prize on the arts writer competition of the Young Artists’ Studio.
1981-83. he is a member of the Young Artists’ Studio.
1982-84. he is the chairman of the Council of Amateur Artists.
1982-93. he is a teacher, and from 1988 the chairman of GYIK (Fine Art Workshop for Children and Young People) in the Hungarian national Gallery.
1986 he won a shared 2nd prize on the film story competition “Send a Story!” of Hunnia Film Studio,
1990. he is a member of Kállai Ernő Group
1990-93. he is a member of the film curator board of the Motion Picture Public Foundation (then: Motion Picture Foundation)
Since 1991 he has been a member of Szinyei Merse Pál Association
1992-93. he is a leading associate of Hungarian Institute for Culture
1992-95. he is one of the chairmen in the Association of Hungarian Painters.
1993. he is the chairman of the animation film curator board of the Motion Picture Public Foundation
1993. one episode of “Múzeumosdi” wins a special prize at the Fine Arts Film Festival in Szolnok.
1993. Award of the Ministry of Education and Culture at “Objects of our Lives – Still-lives of our Objects” exhibition
Since 1994 he has been a member of Altamira Association.
Since 1995 he has been a member of the Hungarian Painters Association.
1996. main prize at exhibition “Art Cards – Fortune Teller Cards”
1996. special prize at exhibition “In Memoriam 1956”
1997. Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary
1997-99. editor in chief of the Hungarian Television programme: “Visual Arts”.
1998-2001. member of the board at Hungarian Cultural Association
1998. chairman of the Foundation for Hungarian Painting
1999. festival prize at the Camera Hungary Festival, in studio film category with a episode of his television series “Fight/Faces”.
1999-2002. chairman of the Public Foundation For Public Education of Csepel
2000. special prize at the Arts Film Festival, Szolnok for the film “Paradise Lost” 2000 award of Szinyei Merse Pál Association at exhibition: “Corpus Regni”
2001. Munkácsy Award
Since 2001 he has been a member of “Unicorn” Group
Since 2002 he has been a member of board at Szinyei Merse Pál Association
2003. arts pedagogy award of the Museum of National Cultural Heritage and Hungarian Institute for Public Education.
2003. Life Member Award of Patak Gallery
Since 2004 he has been a member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts
Since 2005 he has been a member of Patak Group
2005. festival award of “Camera Hungary” television film festival for one episode of his film series “Birds of a Feather…”
2005. curator of the Németh László Cultural Foundation
2005. Simsay Award
2006. Baktay Medal of the Baktay Ervin Grammar School and the Secondary School of Water Management
Since 2007 he has been a member of the Hungarian Writers’ Association
2015 Merited Artist of Hungary

Books:

1987. György Szemadám: Marcell Jankovics (monograph), Budapest, Corvina Publisher
1990. M. Hoppál, M. Jankovics, A. Nagy, Gy. Szemadám: “Store of Symbols”, Budapest, Helikon Publisher
1991. György Szemadám: “Apocryphal Zoology”, Budapest, Móra Publisher
1995. “Inside Exhibition - György Szemadám”, Budapest, Kráter Műhely Association
1997. György Szemadám: “Encyclopaedia of Apocryphal Creatures”, Debrecen, Csokonai Publisher
1999. György Szemadám: “Antique Torsos and Selected Vernissages” Budapest
Kráter Műhely Association
2001. György Szemadám: “ZO and O”, Budapest, Kortárs Publisher
2003. György Szemadám: “Essays from the Millennium” Budapest, Széphalom Book Workshop
2004. M.Hoppál, M. Jankovics, A. Nagy, Gy. Szemadám: “Store of Symbols”,
(expanded, corrected version) Budapest, Helikon Publisher
2005. György Szemadám: “Birds, Fowlers and other Miraculous Creatures”, Budapest Széphalom Book Workshop
2007. György Szemadám: “Book of Unbelievable Creatures”, Dunaszerdahely,
Méry Ratio Publisher
2007. Tibor Gyurkovics – György Szemadám: “The Vegetative Charm of Creation”,
Napkút Publisher

Films:

1988-89. Fields of Liberty (with László Lugosi-Lugo)
1999. Paradise Lost

Television Series:

1991-97. Fights/Faces, 60 episodes (with Alfréd Wiegmann and Árpád Sós)
1993-94. Store of Symbols – 13 episodes from the series
(with Mihály Hoppál, Marcell Jankovics and András Nagy)
1993-94/1998. “Museumosdi”, 9 episodes (with István Sinkó and Gábor Rohonyi)
1995-97. Playful Bestiaries A-Z, 25 episodes
(with Edit Kremsier and Ágnes M. Lukács)
2002-2003. Birds of a Feather…, 12 episodes ( with Tibor Kocsis)
2005-2006. Companion and Slave – the Pets, 7 episodes, (with Vilmos Tomcsányi)

Individual Exhibition:

1969. Technical College of Agriculture, Budapest (opened: Elek Lisziák)
1970. House of Technology, Esztergom (opened: Ottó Mezei)
1972. Young Artists’ Club, Budapest, with Ferenc Dlauchy
(opened Ferenc Dlauchy and György Szemadám)
1973. Chapel Exhibition, Balatonboglár
(opened: György Szemadám)
1974. Technical University, „E” Club, Budapest (opened: Lajos Schranz)
1974. Young Artists’ Club, Budapest
1974. University Stage, Budapest, with László Haris
1975. Artists Group of Buda, Toldi Studio Cinema, Budapest, with Tamás Diner (opened: István Kerékgyártó)
1977. Ervin Szabó Library Club, Budapest
(opened: György Szemadám)
1977. Cellar Exhibition in Ferencváros, Budapest
(directed: János Frank, opened: Ottó Mezei)
1979. Arany János Centre of Education, Tiszakécske
(directed: István Kerékgyártó, opened: Marcell Jankovics)
1980. Fényes Adolf Hall, Budapest (directed: János Frank, opened: Marcell Jankovics)
1980. Petőfi Sándor Centre of Public Education and Youth, Győr
(opened: Mihály Hoppál)
1981. Bástya Gallery, Budapest
1981. Mini Gallery, Miskolc, with Tamás Diner
(opened: László Földes alias “Hobo”)
1982. Erzsébetvárosi Gallery, Budapest (opened: Mihály Hoppál)
1982. Cellar Exhibition in Ferencváros, Budapest (opened: Gábor Czakó and Péter Szőke)
1982. County Centre of Public Education, Szolnok
(opened: Zoltán Sárközi and Péter Szőke)
1983. Erkel Ferenc House of Public Education, Budakeszi (opened: Ferenc Szakály)
1983. Gallery of the Centre of Public Education, Eger (opened: Zoltán Sárközi)
1983. Liget Gallery, Budapest
1984. Komáromi Gallery, Komárom (opened: Marcell Jankovics)
1984. Kölcsey Gallery, Debrecen (opened: Ferenc Szakály)
1988. Kilián György House of Public Education, Kaposvár (opened: Endre Mányoki)
1989. “False-Seum” “Mű-zeum” – Fifth Draft for the Big Store of Scenes, Duna Gallery, Budapest (directed: Ákos Vörösváry, opened: Gábor Attalai)
1991. Budapest Gallery’s Exhibition Hall, Budapest
(directed: Miklós Sulyok és Ákos Vörösváry, opened: Jenő Balaskó)
1992. Collegium Hungaricum, Vienna (opened: Miklós Sulyok)
1992. Centre of Public Education and Library, Oroszlány (opened: Gábor Czakó)
1992. Mini Gallery, Miskolc (opened: Miklós Sulyok)
1993. Hungarian Institute, Prague (opened: Miklós Sulyok)
1993. „…silence…” Bartók ’32 Gallery, Budapest
(directed: Ákos Vörösváry, opened: Marcell Jankovics)
1994. “The Wayfarers’ Memory” Játékszín, Budapest (opened: Hernádi Gyula)
1995. Centre of Hungarian Culture, Science and Information, Moscow
1995. Kaposfüredi Gallery, Kaposfüred (opened: Ádám Fellegi)
1996. Stílus Gallery, Budapest (Opened: Gábor Lajta)
1996. Klapka György Primary School, Isaszeg (opened: Marcell Jankovics)
1996. „Ad futuram memoriam” Merlin Gallery, Budapest
(opened: Sinkó István)
1996. Csepel Gallery, Budapest
(the opening was György Szemadám’s video action)
1997. Vigadó Gallery, Budapest
(directed: Ákos Vörösváry, opened: Gábor Andrási)
2001. “Celebration and Secession” – store of scenes reflection on Szemadám pictures Cifra Palace, Kecskemét
(directed: Ákos Vörösváry, opened: András Nyitrai and Sándor Radnóti)
2001. Vaszary Exhibition Hall, Kaposvár, with Péter Prutkay
(directed: Ákos Vörösváry, opened: Tibor Wehner)
2002. “The Unknown Szemadám” Mű-Terem Gallery, Debrecen
(directed: Ákos Vörösváry, opened: János Mazsu and Ákos Vörösváry)
2003. Volksbank, Keszthely (directed and opened: Ákos Vörösváry)
2004. Szatmári Museum, Mátészalka (opened: Marcell Jankovics)
2004. “Hermetic Objects” Vízivárosi Gallery, Budapest
(Directed and opened: Ákos Vörösváry)
2004. Exhibition Hall, Attila József House of Public Education, Vecsés
(Opened: István Antall)
2005. “Birds and Mandalas”, Várnegyed Gallery, Budapest
(Opened: Lajos Szakolczay)
2006. József Attila House of Public Education, Dunaharaszti
(Opened: György Szemadám)
2007. Szepes Gyula Centre of Public Education, Érd (Opened: Tihamér Novotny)
2008. Forrás Gallery, Budapest (Opened: Ferenc Temesi)
2011 Forrás Gallery, Budapest
2013
Eötvös Gallery, Baja

“Erzsébet Vaszkó’s painting and consequent, non-opportunist personality influenced and formed his early career. Besides that, Endre Bálint’s and Dezső Korniss’ works touched him. He was one of the leading characters of the self-organizing, ambitious, individual young people of the 1960s. In the early 1970s, he organized and took part in several happenings, performances, what was judged by the culture-politics of that time as provocation against the system – like all Avantgarde movements. In his paintings he illustrates symbolic, stylized animals, mostly birds, and as for the form, he uses abstract, fraction, reduced forms, patches of forceful colours and strong contours. From the late 1980s his form of expression is more and more classicized, figures appear in his works and his technique starts to be more meticulous and searching. The strong contours are significant again and his topics are the same. In his paintings ideas get formed, by logical or non-logical connection of symbols, instead of isolated symbols which would exist in their identifiable forms. His thoughts are reflected by thorough drawing or by inquisitive searching of the technique. Human problems are present in his works, either.”


(Contemporary Arts Encyclopaedia, 2001, Encyclopaedia Publisher)