Jozsef Szurcsik in a studio of the Hungarian University

of Fine Arts, 1986.

About Jozsef Szurcsik

József Szurcsik was born in Budapest in 1959. He completed his studies at the Hungarian College of Fine Arts. Szurcsik received strong artistic impressions from his family, his father is a painter, his mother prepares gobelin tapestry.
He has been active as an artist from an early age, and has had exhibitions regularly since the mid-eighties both in and outside Hungary.
Being a creative and significant artist of his generation, Szurcsik prepares etchings, lithographs, oil and acrylic paintings on canvas, painted sculptures and installations.
Between 1986-1990 he performed with "Art Reaktor", his own artistical-musical ensemble.
Beside his activities as an artist, he was the head of the Faculty of Graphic Arts at Ars Hungarica (Novus) School of Arts, leader of the Department of Graphic and Visual Arts on the Eszterhazy Karoly College, Eger.
From 2008 he is teacher of the Graphic Faculty of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts in Budapest.
1986-2005 he spent several months and made exhibitions in Finland and in the USA, in New York.
Szurcsik's early works are illustrations of his critical view of the "soft dictatorship" and investigate the relationship of authority and the individual. His symbolic side-face -- a recurring element of his art up to the present -- are antropomorphous depictions of objects and edifices,
preserving the clumsy and drastic rigidity or the frail softness of dead matter.
Szurcsik's art is characterized by the surrealistic fusion of man and his or her material environment in a unique manner, and through these relations profoundly new domains of the human spirit are explored in his works.
Beside the precise and self-confident use of the traditional techniques and the accurate graphic execution, his drawings are enriched by inventive technical experiments. In his paintings Szurcsik uses archaizing, crackled surfaces, and has been painting "statuesque canvases". He welds iron statues and made performances lately.
The secrets of the human soul remain his current topic. Some of his works represent the man like a presoner in the own built personal preson. He are looking for the relationships between human soul and the landscape. Nowadays he paints pictures in black and white with human figures.

Personal Details

1959- born in Budapest
1981-85 Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts - Prints Major
1985-88 Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts - MA Course
2006-2008 head of the Visual Art Department, Eszterházy Károly College, Eger,
2008- teacher of Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Department of Graphic Arts,
teacher of Eszterházy Károly College, Eger

Awards

1981 LP Cover of the Year - Hungarian Record Publishing Co.
1985 Kondor Béla Commemorative Medal, Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts
1986 LP Cover of the Year - Hungarian Record Publishing Co.
Award of the Studio of Young Fine Artists, Budapest, Hungary
1987 First Prize of the Arts Weeks of Nyíregyháza, Hungary
Award of Balaton Small Graphics Biennale, Tihany, Hungary
Le Surréalisme, 15' Salon International, Silver Prize, Revin, France
1988-90 Derkovits-scholarship, Hungary
1989 Award of the 14th Graphics Biennale, Miskolc, Hungary
Award of Balaton Small Graphics Biennale, Tihany, Hungary
Kondor Béla Commemorative Medal, Miskolc, Hungary
1990 "Signs of the Changes" - Prize of the Poster Exhibition, Hungarian National Gallery
1991 First Prize of the 15th Graphics Biennale, Miskolc, Hungary
1992 First Prize of the 4th International Cairo Biennale, Egypt
1993 Prize of the 40th Vásárhely Autumn Art Exhibition, Hódmezővásárhely
1994 Scholarship, Hungarian Ministry of Culture, Rome, Italy
Scholarship of the Bavarian Government, Munchen, Germany
1997 Munkácsy - award, Hungary
Prize of Esztergom Pastel Biennale, Hungary
The Masters of Graphic Arts, 4th International Graphics Biennale award
Award Miskolc Winter Art Exhibition, Hungary
1998 Award of the Magyar Aszfalt Ltd., Hungarian Competition of Painters, Hungary
2000 Prize of the 20th Graphics Biennale, Miskolc, Hungary
2001 Prize of the BEIJ- Japan
Scholarship of the National Cultural Fund of Hungary
2002 Simsay-prize, Hungary
2003 Hungart award, Hungary
2004 Scholarship of the National Cultural Fund of Hungary
2006 "Graphic of the Year" Prize of the Hungarian Graphic Fund
Prize of the 23th Graphics Biennale, Miskolc, Hungary
2007 Prize of the Spring Art Exhibition, Salgotarjan, Hungary
2010 Scholarship of the National Cultural Fund of Hungary
Award of the I. Drawing Triennale, Salgotarjan, Hungary
2013 Scholarship of the National Cultural Fund of Hungary

Significant Independent Exhibitions

1989 Galeria Stundars, Vaasa, Finland
1990 Rauman Taidemuseo, Finland
1991 Small and Beauty Gallery, Budapest
1992 'Peacefightpeacefight', Stúdió Gallery, Budapest
Szabadművelődés Háza, Székesfehérvár
'No Limits', Rauman Taidemuseo, Finland
(with József Gaál and Mika Kavasto)
1993 'Ungari Graafikanaitus', Tallin, Estonia
'Maalauksia Grafiikkaa', Installaatio, Helsinki, Finland
Gallery by Night, Stúdió Gallery, Budapest
Gaál-Kopasz-Szurcsik, Miskolci Galéria, Miskolc
'Honkong', Mű-terem Kiállító, Budapest (with József Gaál)
1994 'Earth-Earth', Játékszín theatre hall, Budapest
Künstler aus Ungarn, Kirchzarten, Germany
King Mathias Museum, Salamon Tower, Visegrád
Exhibition Room of the Turku Cultur Centrum, Finland
Gaál-Kopasz-Szurcsik, Pécsi Galéria
1995 Várfok 14 Műhelygaléria, Budapest
'Fish' Művésztelepi Galéria, Szentendre
1996 'Spakli' Vigadó Gallery, Budapest
'The Scissors and the Others' Játékszín Galéria, Budapest
1997 'The Knife' Várfok Gallery, Budapest
The Municipal Library, Beersheva - Israel
(Paraszkay-Szurcsik-Szyksznyan)
Gaál-Kopasz-Szurcsik, Lipótvárosi Klubgaléria, Budapest
1998 'Tools' Városi Művelődési Ház, Balassagyarmat
'Antique' Gaál-Kopasz-Majoros-Szurcsik, Lipótvárosi Galéria, Budapest
CERN, Genéve-Switzerland, (Csuta-Ezüst Gy.-Ezüst Z.-Szurcsik)
'Mythology of Apollodoros' Master Gallery, Budapest
1999 'Soul-store I.' Városi Képtár, Győr
'Fish - dream" Petőfi Theatre, Veszprém
'The garden of Magician” Studio Godot Gallery, Budapest
'Titanriver" Pécsi Galéria, Pécs (with Tamás Kopasz)
2000 'Selekted pictures" Water-tower Gallery, Budapest
'Drawings" Exhibition Room of the Hungarian Cultur Centrum, Sofia, Bulgaria
2001 'What is in the Space?" Studio Godot Gallery, Budapest
2002 'Earlier and new pictures" EDGE Gallery, Budapest
'N-visages” Belenky Brothers Gallery, New York, USA
'Monument with sword' Clara Aich Photo Studio, New York, USA
'Soul in a box' Kavehaz Gallery, New York, USA
2003 'N.Y.N.Y.' Studio Godot Gallery, Budapest
'Somebody somewhere' Dorottya Gallery, Budapest
2004 Painter Jozsef Szurcsik, Europa Club, New York
2005 'Magánbörtön' MU Theater, Budapest
'Transzszubjektiv' double exhibition, Godot Gallery, Ericsson Gallery, Budapest
2006 'The evolution of the stupidity' graphics of 20 years, Gallery IX. Budapest
'New pictures' Bartok 32 Gallery, Budapest
2007 'Visitors in the Hell' House of Arts, Eger
2008 'Arcadia' Virag Judit Gallery, Budapest
'Opusculum' Godot Gallery, Budapest
'Inward travel' Pelican Gallery, Szekesfehervar
2009 'Changeless Variable' Virag Judit Gallery, Budapest
2010 'Blocks - Shapes - Figures' (with Boldi), KOGART House, Budapest
'Homo Homini' Virag Judit Gallery, Budapest
2011 'New pictures' Ráday Bookhouse, Budapest
2012 'Terra Incognita' Jankay Gallery, Békéscsaba
2013 'Analysis of the Memory' Erlin Gallery, Budapest

Significant International Group Exhibitions

1986 '13 Unkarilaista Taiteilijaa' Taidekeskus Maltinranta, Tampere, Finland
1987 'Le Surrealisme' 15. Salon International, Revin, France
1988 'Wegierska Sztuka Mlodych' Centrum Sztuki, Warsawa, Poland
1989 'Britain salutes Hungary' Barbican Centre, London, UK
1990 'Grafiektentoonstelling van Hongaarse Kunstenaars'
Academisch Genotschap, Eindhoven, Netherlands
'Lieblingsbilder' Fördervereins junger Kunst - 68 elf, Cologne, Germany
1991 '19 Mednarodni Graficni Bienale' Moderna Galerija, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia
'La Création en Europe' autour de la premiere réunion d’artistes Hongrois, Paris, France
1992 'Flirt mit dem Comic - Herz, TV und UFOs' Fördervereins junger Kunst - 68 elf, Cologne, Germany
'Hungarian Art Today' Contemporary printmakers Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Paddington, Australia
'11 artists who make lithographs in Vác' British Embassy, Budapest
'Reservoir I.' Kunstwerkstatt, Tulln, Ausztria
'Reservoir II.' Donauraum, Vienna, Ausztria
'4th International Cairo Biennale 1992' The Museum of Modern Egyptian Art, Cairo, Egypt
1993 'Japan - Hungarian Contemporary graphic Exhibition' Nagano, Japan
'Young Hungarian Artists in Finland' Imatra, Nurmesz, Kuopio, Finland
'Inter-Kontact-Grafik-Praha '93' Galerie Manes, Praha, Czech Republic
'The First International Print Biennial Maastricht' Netherlands
'Mini print' Galerija Rotovz, Maribor, Slovenia
1994 'Contemporary Print Art -Nagoya With Hungary' Nagoya, Japan
1995 'Taidesymposium' Galleria Just, Ulappa, Finland
1997 'Jahrhunderttausendwende' Alter Schloss, Dillingen, Germany
1998 'Hungarian Painters' CERN, Genf, Switzerland
1999 'Contravisions' Eszterházy Palace, Bratislava, Slovakia
2000 'International Print Triennial' Krakkó, Poland
'Intergrafia - 2000 World Awards Winners Gallery', Galeria Sztuki Wspólczesnej, Katowice, Poland
Exhibition of Procession Group, Airport, Stuttgart, Germany
'Baggages' MAMÜ Society, Hungarian Embassy, New York, USA
2001 'BEIJ’ 01.- I. Illustration biennále' Japan
2002 2da Bienal Internacional de Arte, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires, Argentína
Expo Rencontre 2002, Alger, Hotel el Aurassi, Algeria
2004 'Európa-friz, Mission-art line' in several European cityes
Exhibition of Procession Group, Hungarian Institute, Delhi, India
Pejsaz Biennale, Galerija Zlatno Oko, Novi Sad, Serbia
'Segment I.' Hungarian Contemporary Art Exhibition, Gallery Saoh&Tomos, Tokyo, Japan
2005 Divina Comedia Dante illustrations of hungarian artists, Budapest - Roma,
'Segment II.' Zanabazar Museum, Ulanbator, Mongolia
2006 '30 hungarian illustrators' Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Hungarian Stand, Bologna, Italy
Exhibition of Procession Group, Bruxelles, Belgium
'Segment III.' Hungarian Contemporary Art, National Taiwan Arts University, Taipei
2007 Hungarian Art, Expressionistic Tendencies…, Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum, Cunovo, Slovakia
'Segment IV.' Hungarian Contemporary Art, Yian Gallery, Daejeon, Korea
'Living Classic of the Hungarian Graphic' Hungarian Cultural Institute, Stuttgart, Germany
2008 'Graphic touch between Fours of Visegrad' Salgótarján (Hungary), Cieszyn (Poland.), Lucenec (Slovakia), Karvina (Czech.)
'Goldene Schüsse (Golden Spit)' Contemporary Art in Szép Péter Collection, Collegium Hungaricum, Vienna, Ausztria
2009 'Szegmens V.' Vyom Contemporary Art Center, Jaipur, India
2011 'Szegmens VI.' Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2013 'Visegrafiken' Balassi Institut, Collegium Hungaricum, Vienna, Austria

Performances

1986-88 Performances of Art Reaktor music-art group, Petőfi Csarnok, Budapest
1993 'Fish-day' Ars Hungarica College, Dockyard Island, Budapest
1994 'Bull-day' Ars HungaricaCollege, Dockyard Island, Budapest
2006 'Fourpoint' Hungarian Cultural Centre, Moszkva
2006 'Bread' , Open Space, Live Art Festival, Eger
2007 'Food', Open Space, Live Art Festival, Eger
2008 'There is trouble', Open Space, Live Art Festival, Eger
2009 'Book of Souls' , Live Art Festival, Eger
2010 Music performance of Munkacsy-group, Missionart Gallery, Budapest
2010 '???' artAlom, Live Art Festival, Eger
2011 Music performance of Experienced Brushes, Budapest, Pécs, Eger
2012 'Flag' artAlom, Live Art Festival, Eger
2013 'Plenty?' 'What a Hell' festival, Vajda Lajos Studio, ArtMill, Szentendre