1984 - Painter, Graphic Artist
Biography
BIOGRAPHY
A painter from Sovata, he studied painting at the Pálló Imre Art High School in Székelyudvarhely between 1999 and 2003. From 2003 to 2007, he continued his studies in painting at the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca, where he also completed a master’s program in painting from 2007 to 2009. His first solo exhibition was held in Târgu Mureș in 2008, and he has also exhibited in Cluj-Napoca, Pécs, Budapest, and Sovata. He is a member of the Romanian Fine Artists’ Union and the Barabás Miklós Guild. Currently, he lives and works in Sovata.
ARTISTIC VISION
His works aim to capture moments of continuous transformation, primarily through oil paintings. His artistic philosophy is characterized by self-discipline and a fascination with opposites, duality, constraints, revelations, and their symbiotic relationships, which often lead to new challenges.
Growing up in Sovata, his father introduced him to a unique artistic milieu that profoundly influenced him. Later in his career, he sought challenges in art, marked by dedicated and persistent effort. Since childhood, he has felt fulfilled only when working, driven by an almost compulsive need to create—one that fills his days with both struggles and breakthroughs.
The saying "If it doesn’t hurt, it’s not art" resonates with him. Over the years, he has learned that this cliché holds the cathartic experience he seeks. Painting is a physical endeavor that requires rapid decisions when working with materials. Though the outcome is uncertain, paintings often demand revisions, requiring flexibility and openness. Letting go of original plans can lead to surprising, joyful moments. The balance between intention and the unexpected often results in miracles.
As a child, he aspired to be a jack-of-all-trades, building wooden models. He also competed in drawing with his twin brother, whose precise and clean style contrasted with his own loose and spontaneous approach. Discovering oil painting was a transformative experience, overshadowing all other pursuits. After studying in Székelyudvarhely and Cluj-Napoca and a brief detour into advertising graphics, he entered an experimental phase in painting. While his artistic path differs from his father’s, he considers him his greatest mentor, inheriting his perspective and sense of vocation.
Since 2014, he has lived in Sovata, where his and his father’s studios are separated by only a few walls. Despite differences in artistic style—his father being slow and patient, while he is restless and dynamic—they engage in daily interactions. Their collaborations are characterized by mutual critique and inspiration, despite occasional disagreements. He emphasizes technical details, the layering of paint, and the tension within compositions, often examining the surfaces of artworks closely at exhibitions.
Recently, he has shifted to working more on canvas, finding joy in its preparation and priming. He enjoys using palette knives, large brushes, sandpaper, and cloth, primarily working with oil paint but also using acrylics as a base. He dislikes pristine white canvases, viewing them as perfect yet lifeless—they must be "ruined" to come alive. He starts without specific plans, drawing inspiration from impressions, colors, and moods.
As a student, financial constraints forced him to repaint older works, an often bitter experience that created exciting new layers and structures. After discovering avant-garde styles, he became increasingly attracted to unconventional techniques: crumpling or even burning his paintings to let external forces shape them. The process of construction-deconstruction-reconstruction defined his work for years. However, over the past year and a half, his methods have become more refined, focusing on greater ease and deliberate composition, bringing a renewed energy to his art.
Solo Exhibitions:
2021: “Kuti Botond – Painter’s Exhibition” – Kárpát-haza Gallery, Budapest (Hungary)
2019: “Transit” – Wine Court, Prospero Association, Târgu Mureș (Romania)
2018: “Remanences” – Radnóti Miklós Cultural Center (RAM), Budapest (Hungary)
2015: “Undefined” – Balassi Institute, Bucharest (Romania)
2013: Hungarian Consulate General, Event Hall, Cluj-Napoca (Romania)
2013: Bernády House, Târgu Mureș (Romania)
2011: “Contrast and Harmony” – Orangerie at Augustusburg Castle, Brühl (Germany)
2010: Contemporary Art Gallery, Pécs (Hungary)
2009: Bernády House, Târgu Mureș (Romania)
2002: Áron Tamási High School, Székelyudvarhely (Romania)
2001: Teleki Educational Center, Sovata (Romania)
Group Exhibitions:
Public Collections:
"Publicum" - 144cm x 93cm, oil on canvas, 2009 – Maros County Museum, Târgu Mureș (Romania)
"Vivus 1." - 150cm x 100cm, oil on canvas, 2020 – Maros County Museum, Târgu Mureș (Romania)
"Pilgrim" - 82cm x 146cm, oil on canvas, 2009 – Maros County Museum, Târgu Mureș (Romania)
"Heritage" - 84cm x 114cm, oil on canvas, 2015 – Forrás Gallery, Budapest (Hungary)
"Arcanum" - 100cm x 120cm, oil on canvas, 2017 – Szekler National Museum, Sfântu Gheorghe (Romania)
"Pax Pacis" - 155cm x 125cm, oil on canvas, 2018 – Sapientia Foundation, Sfântu Gheorghe (Romania)
"Relic" - 110cm x 140cm, oil on canvas, 2019 – Sapientia Foundation, Sfântu Gheorghe (Romania)
"Scala 1." - 150cm x 130cm, oil on canvas, 2020 – Sapientia Foundation, Sfântu Gheorghe (Romania)
"Alluvium" - 130cm x 120cm, oil on canvas, 2020 – Horn Collection, Budapest (Hungary)
"Anima 2." - 112cm x 150cm, oil on canvas, 2020 – Horn Collection, Budapest (Hungary)
"Evocatio 6." - 120cm x 100cm, oil on canvas, 2019 – Horn Collection, Budapest (Hungary)
"Sacra Fero" - 90cm x 130cm, oil on canvas, 2014 – Horn Collection, Budapest (Hungary)
"Aspiro" - 149cm x 154cm, oil on canvas, 2023 – Horn Collection, Budapest (Hungary)
"Colluvio" - 150cm x 125cm, oil on canvas, 2022 – Horn Collection, Budapest (Hungary)
"Duellum 1." - 180cm x 135cm, oil on canvas, 2023 – Horn Collection, Budapest (Hungary)
"Gena" - 53cm x 38cm, oil on canvas, 2023 – Horn Collection, Budapest (Hungary)
Additional works are included in the collections of the following art camps:
Pulzus Art Camp - Székelyudvarhely (Romania),
Zereda Art Camp - Nyárádszereda (Romania),
Lăzarea Art Camp - Gyergyószárhegy (Romania)
