“To me, photography is all about the final image, regardless of the journey, whether it is through a traditional medium or image manipulation. To capture the perfect shot, there should be ‘no limitations’ on one’s creativity.” István Kádár
These are the words of Hungary-based artist, István Kádár whose art exudes a fairy tale-like quality, possibly inspired by his homeland Transylvania. Looking through his vast collection you are transported to a world of dreamcatchers and intriguing landscapes. Kadar expresses his creavity by focusing on different subjects and so far his collections span numerous topics, ranging from animals (animalia) to self portraits (self).
Born in Sepsiszentgyörgy, Transylvania, Kádár later moved to Canada at the age of 22 and studied graphic design in Toronto. In 1997 he moved to Budapest and spent eight years as a graphic designer, before returning to Toronto to study web design. Now this internationally acclaimed artist he is back to where he calls “home” in Budapest, taking the arts scene by storm.
Kádár has many strings to his bow, and has talents in print, web and product design as well as photography and more traditional forms of course. Indeed, although young, Kádár has held the post of Art Director at many notable advertising agencies, both here and in Canada. Now though, he focuses solely on his own art and his work is a regular feature at exhibitions across Budapest. In January this year his exhibition “Imagined Reflexions” was on display at the prestigious National Dance Theater
In this exhibition Kádár allows us entry into the world of an extraordinary planet. The photos are more than mere two-dimensional records and instead play on the effects of light-and-shadow, peculiar colors, as well as textures perceived during his real and imaginary travels. It’s hard to explain other than to say that although many of his pictures appear to be captured in a natural environment, they manage to depict a fantasy world.
The artist’s talents have not gone unnoticed and he has won numerous awards including the National Geographic Photographic (nature) prize (2008) and second place in the Hungarian press photo award.
If you’re curious check out www.istvandesign.com and see hwta Kádár is all about it. And watch this space for information about his future exhibitions – they’ll be worth a visit.
