Interview: Ferenc Temesvári
Luca Curci talks with Ferenc Temesvári during CONSCIOUSNESS, second appointment of the ANIMA MUNDI 2022, at Palazzo Bembo – Venice Grand Canal.

He was born in 1960, Budapest. Like many others in their career, he began with graphic works. Under the mentoring instructions of his art teacher Frigyes Porscht, his talent was rapidly noticed. Early in his career, he could already own and show significant illustrational arts. Almost all of the remarkable magazines regularly published his drawings in the 1980s. He has been a contractual illustrator of the Galaktika, Android, 576 KByte magazines and Vega publisher. Besides of these, he has illustrated several books commissioned by Cédrus publisher. During the graphical period of his career, he was able to acquire oil technic as well. His painting teacher was András Januska painter also known as “the teacher of ours”. After an early and quicker period, he got above the requirements of his school as Ferenc Temesvári was already able to draw and paint with exceptional and outstanding talent. Since 1983, he has been producing his works as an exhibiting artist. In the same year, he managed to contract with the Képcsarnok Company as his arts got the audience award on the Vega publisher’s competition. This period of the 1980s, his works had already been published in tv advertisements of Horizon publisher as well. In the organization of IBB art trade company and Képcsarnok he participated in the second collective exhibition of the Hungarian painters in London, 1988. His first foreign appearance was in the year 1991 when he won the first prize with a golden plaque in the International Graphical and Painter biennale, Santa Barbara. With this outstanding international award, he became the first non-American painter who received it. In the US, the famous Bridge published his graphics. Later, in 1995 with the invitation from a well-known exhibitor, he could have a half year study tour around the biblical landscapes of Israel, which he closed with a monumental exhibition in Tiberias. Instrument music has a particular and great impact on him especially Andreas Vollenweider harpist, Mike Oldfield, Enigma and Pink Floyd. His artistic sources are mainly from the 4 elements, mythological and sci-fi themes. Some other specific features would be some soft eroticism, the love of nature, animals and the special representation of the water world. His arts have been shown in Stockholm, and London as well. He has taken part in several individual and collective exhibitions with his most important and remarkable domestic ones: Gödöllő, Kiskőrös, Budapest and Kecskemét. Some other notable places for the exhibitions he proudly remembers are the Atrium Hyatt hotel in 2001 and 2003, Hilton hotel in 2018 and the OTP Hall, Erdőkertes House of Culture and Palazzo Bembo, Venice, Italy in 2022. In addition, he participated in the University of Agronomics, Gödöllő group exhibition as well. His most recent pictures are related to the fascinating topic of surrealism. His main goal is to create a little fire where it is cold, and his asset is a paintbrush. Providing ideas that come from our dreams make his art fascinating and surrealistic and he believes in any kind of art and its sharing with the relevant audience. He has always been attracted to the magical world of the extraordinary and the unusual. He fancies with painting landscapes, but recently he is obsessed with surrealism, because it has no boundaries, which helps him to create and depict his wildest ideas coming to his mind. His motivation is – I would say – boundless, because creating gives him confidence, hope, liberation from the world’s madness, joy and freedom as well. He learned from great Hungarian masters who believed in him and nurtured his artistic path in his youth and their legacy lives in him and this is another motivation for everyday creation. He usually depicts the big questions of life, impermanence, woman and men relation, beauty and the mix of these. His audience is wide irrespective of someone’s nationality, skin colour, gender, so everybody is welcome, and his vision is the decomposition of the beauty of our world and recomposition by rethinking.

Luca Curci – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
Ferenc Temesvári – My talent was rapidly noticed under the mentoring instructions of my art teacher Frigyes Porscht, and later on I had some jobs that I did not like. Probably those jobs gave me the impetus to acquire oil technic and become a full-time artist. After all, I managed to quit my job and become an exhibiting artist, but I want to show my talent to the world and get an international reputation as well. I learned from great Hungarian masters who believed in me and nurtured my artistic path and their legacy lives in me and gives me motivation for everyday creation. I participated in an American sci-fi illustrator competition back in 1991, in Santa Barbara. My works were published by several Hungarian magazines and I had the chance to participate in the second collective exhibition of the Hungarian painters in London, 1988 in the organization of IBB art trade Company and Képcsarnok Company. Besides the abovementioned I had exhibitions in Atrium Hyatt Hotel in 2001 and 2003, Hilton Hotel, OTP Hall in 2018, Erdőkertes House of Culture in 2022 and Palazzo Bembo in 2022 and several smaller participation during the years.

LC – Which subject are you working on?
FT – Currently my paintings are related to the fascinating topic of surrealism. I love painting landscapes as well, but surrealism gives me boundless creativity. I represent the conventional way of painting that fills my heart with motivation, and I am trying to depict everyday things, but in a totally different, surrealistic way.

LC – Do visitors’ suggestions enrich yourself and your art?
FT – I have always been open to my visitors and I try to bring a little warmth to the people’s hearts and show my extraordinary artistic view. I reckon that this mission is noble and gives me confidence, hope, liberation from the world’s madness, joy and freedom as well.

LC – Did your style change over the years? In which way?
FT – At the beginning of my career, I started by depicting sci-fi theme paintings, landscapes and still life, but as every person changes so I as well resulted in a changed my style. As I mentioned, surrealism gives me boundless creativity and allows me to show my wildest dreams coming to my mind. Recently I am obsessed with mythological, and surrealistic themes, but some other specific features would be soft eroticism, the love of nature, animals and the special representation of the water world.

LC – Which art themes do you pursue? What is your preferred subject, if there is any?
FT – I usually depict the big questions of life, impermanence, landscapes, woman and man relation, beauty and the mix of these of course. I have always sought for creating something palpable and things that can be touched and survive time. Art is a mirror of humanity’s cultural history, and just as it tells us about the past, it also tells us about our lives today or evokes ideals and symbols about the long forgotten and the lost. Each piece of art speaks to different people, and each one has a different effect that can be enchanting or thought-provoking. We were attracted by your last artistic production, has the artwork presented been created for the exhibition or as a part of preexisting works? This painting “Devouring of time” was created in 2020 and I wanted to depict the irreversible nature of time that embraces everything in our world. We live in a world that is ephemeral and brutally ticking away, so we need to enjoy life, and be creative, and curious in order to fill life with memories.

LC – Do you agree with our vision of art and what do you think about the theme of the exhibition?
FT – I like the concept of “Anima Mundi” and I felt that my paintings would fit perfectly. This was a key determinant in submitting my works.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
FT – Sure, and probably this was not the last time. So, see you soon!

LC – What do you think about ITSLIQUID Platform?
FT – Truth to be told, I am fond of this kind of opportunity because artists from all around the world can co-operate and meet with one another which triggers something tremendous.

LC – What do you think about the organization of our event?
FT – Frankly, the organization of “Consciousness” was well-structured, and the venue hoisted it to another level because Palazzo Bembo is truly a perfect and prestigious place for exhibitions.