László Szlávics Jr.

Biography

Between 1973 and 1977 he attended the Arts & Crafts Secondary School in Budapest. After obtaining his Secondary School Leaving Certificate his training was supervised by his father also László Szlávics a goldsmith and sculptor and the sculptor Agamemnon Makris. Since 1973 he has lived and worked in the Százados artist’ colony in Budapest. Since 1995 he has often designed memorial coins for the National Bank of Hungary.

Works

Szlávics is primarily a medalist. His works include every kind of medal, from those displaying the craftsmanship of the traditional minter to such as tend towards small sculptures. The dual commitment tend towards can be appreciated in all his works.

From the middle of the 1970s his sculptures, reliefs and medals have been characterized by realism and the precision of their craftsmanship. In the 1980s he was noted for handmade medals engraved in a steel negative, a technique reminiscent of ancient coinage. (Birds, Africa, Count István Széchenyi, Hungarian generals executed at Arad in 1849 stb.). Cast bronze works show the influence of Cubism. Among them, the most notable of the first half of the 1990s are a series of 20 medals inspired by Vincent van Gogh works.

In the second half of the 1990s, he made use of natural materials (bone, feathers, seashells &c.,). These are original in style, and are on the fringe of the medal-genre (Cultic proto-money). As a counterpoint to this, he produced several series of medals using an industrial, where time – is measured by movements within the object – visible mode. (mechanical medals). The medals are activated by the active contribution of the public.

Since the start of the 21st century, he has tried to renew the medal arts, by searching for the limits. In 2006, Hungarian Medalists awarded him – the first – Ligeti Erika Prize. In 2007, he was awarded the Béni Ferenczy Prize, grand prix of the 16th National Biennial of Medal Art. Also in that year, he was among the two selected artists at the Art Medal World Congress FIDEM XXX (Colorado Springs, USA). In his small sculptures, he often used objets trouvés given new functions. (In memoriam Man Ray, An hour with Salvador Dalí , Hotline). This Interactive mobile sculptures are activated by the public.

Since 2008, he has produced many wooden small sculptures. Many of them are small sculptures, in the traditional sense, which, in a way, remind of houses and ruins. Large clock sculptures are related to the aforementioned both formally and technically. They are clearly contemporary works, of art, incorporating conventional devices such as the pendulum or spring mechanism, carrying out the functions of a clock. Every hour, and half hour the mark the time by striking the soundbar.

Group shows

Since 1975 his works have been exhibited in 15 countries. The most important are:

1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 2005 National Biennial of Small Plastic, Pécs, Hungary

Since 1983 every National Biennial of Medal Art, Sopron, Hungary

1988, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2010 National Wood Sculpture Exhibition, Nagyatád, Hungary

1991 – „brug tussen oost en west”, Oudenbosch (Netherlands)

1994 – Small Sculpture '94, Gallery Vigadó, Budapest, Hungary

Since 1994 every F.I.D.E.M. Medal Exhibitions (Budapest, Neuchâtel, The Hague, Weimar, Paris, Seixal, Colorado Springs, Tampere)

1995 – Email International 3, Coburg (Germany)

1995 – Helyzetkép/Hungarian sculpture, Kunsthalle Budapest, Hungary

1995 – Workshopcorner – Measuring Time, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, Hungary

1996 – 9th Cloisonne Jewelry Contest, Tokyo (Japan)

1996 – Workshopcorner – Jewels, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, Hungary

1996 – A Step into the Future, Applied Arts Exhibition, Kunsthalle, Budapest, Hungary

1997 – Magyar Szalon '97, Kunsthalle, Budapest, (Hungary)

1997 – VIIth International Biennale of Small Graphic Form and Ex-libris, Ostrów Wielkopolski (Polish)

2001 – Sculpture from here and beyond, Kunsthalle, Budapest, (Hungary)

2002 – Masaccio 600 International Art Medal Competition, Ein Vered, (Israel)

2004 – Dante Europeo XIV. Biennale Internazionale Dantesca, Ravenna (Italia)

2005, 2008, 2010 – International Biennial of Contemporary Medals of Seixal (Portuguese)

2005 – H. C. Andersen 200 International Art Medal Competition, Hadassa Neurim, (Israel)

2006 – The Way 1956–2006, National Fine Art Exhibition, Kunsthalle, Budapest, (Hungary)

2008 – Znad Dunaju Wełtawy i Wisły. Medalierzy i ich dzieła Wroclaw Museum of Medals, Wrocław (Polish).

2008 – 2009 Craft & Design, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, Hungary

2009 – Dedukció – 1st Biennale of Sculptures, Művészetmalom, Szentendre, Hungary

One man shows

Since 1977 he has had 31 one man shows in Hungary and other countries. The most important are:

1977 – Képzőművészeti Kivitelező Vállalat Klubja, Budapest, Hungary

1989 – BM Duna Palota, Budapest, Hungary

1991 – Galerie Simon, Altenahr, Germany

1995 – Gallery Géza Gárdonyi, Dunakeszi, Hungary

2002 – Collegium Hungaricum, Wien, Austria

2006 – Gallery Árkád (Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists, Gallery, Budapest, Hungary)

2009 – „Fifty”, Gallery Keve, Ráckeve, Hungary

2009 – Gallery Körmendi, Sopron, Hungary

2009 – Lábasház, Sopron, Hungary

2012 – „Síkplasztikáim”, Symbol Art Gallery, 21. – 28. february 2012. Budapest, Hungary

2015 – „Za hranicami medailérstva...”, NBS Múzeum Mincí a Medalí, Kremnica, Slovakia.

Awards & Recognitions (selection)

The most important national or international awards:

1993 – Faces and Fates National Portrait Biennale, Budapest, Hungary, Golden Diploma, (Main Prize)

1996 – 9th Cloisonne Jewelry Contest Tokyo, Japan, Encouragement Prize

1996 – Head or Tails, Art medall exhibition, Budapest, Hungary, Grand Prix

1997 – 11th National Biennial of Medal Art, Sopron, Hungary, Civitas Fidelissima-prize (Prize of the Municipal City Government of Sopron, Silver Medals)

2000 – 7 th National Wood Sculpture Exhibition, Nagyatád, Hungary, Prize of Nagyatád city.

2002 – Masaccio 600 International Art Medal Competition, Ein Vered, Israel, Special Mention

2003 – 14 th 11th National Biennial of Medal Art, Sopron, Hungary, Civitas Fidelissima Prize (Prize of the Municipal City Government of Sopron, Silver Medals)

2003 – Jenő Rejtő Memorial Exhibition, Budapest, The Museum of Literature Petőfi, First prize

2006 – II. Articum International Biennial, Szolnok, Hungary, Sculpture Prize

2006 – Erika Ligeti prize

2007 – 16 th National Biennial of Medal Art, 16th Hungarian Biennale of Medal Art, Sopron, Hungary, Béni Ferenczy Prize, The Grand Prize awarded by the Municipal Government of Győr-Moson-Sopron County

2007 – Art Medal World Congress FIDEM XXX, Colorado Springs, USA, „Honorable Mention”

2015 – 20 th National Biennial of Medal Art, 20th Hungarian Biennale of Medal Art, Sopron, Hungary, Béni Ferenczy Prize, The Grand Prize awarded by the Municipal City Government of Sopron

Collections which include work by László Szlávics Jr. (selection)

Lajos Kassák Memorial Museum, Budapest, Hungary

Military History Museum, Budapest, Hungary

Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest, Hungary

Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, Hungary

National Firebrigade Museum, Budapest, Hungary

Museum of Győr-Moson-Sopron County is Sopron, Sopron, Hungary

József Katona Museum, Kecskemét, Hungary

Otto Herman Museum, Miskolc, Hungary

Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, Hungary

Van Gogh Dokumentátiecentrum, Nuenen, Netherlands

Rijksmuseum Het Koninklijk Penningkabinet, Leiden, Netherland

„Basis” School of Sculpture Art Medal collection Ein Vered, Israel

Centro Dantesco, Ravenna, Italia

British Museum, London, United Kingdom

University Museum of Bergen, Norway

Muzeum Sztuki Medalierskiej, Wrocław, Poland

NBS – Múzeum mincí a medailí Kremnica, Slovakia

Buildings which display his work

1979 – Comedy Theatre of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary

1988 – János Damjanich bust, Szeged, Hungary

1989 – Miklós Zrínyi bust, Székesfehérvár, Hungary

1990 – Artúr Görgey bust, Ministry of National Defence, Budapest, Hungary

1992 – Saint Florian relief, Budapest, Hungary

2006 – János Tornyai bust, Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary

2006 – Frigyes Karinthy (writer) portre, Karinthy Teatre, Budapest, Hungary

2007 – Count István Széchenyi bust, Seafaring Secondary School, Budapest, Hungary

2009 – Ferenc Liszt bust, Sopron Music School, Sopron, Hungary

2010 – John Lennon bust, Sopron Music School, Sopron, Hungary [5]

2012 – Ferenc Liszt bust, Universiti of West Hungary Savaria Campus, Szombathely, Hungary

2012 – István Örkény portrait, Zsigmond Móricz City Library, Tata, Hungary

2013 – Janis Joplin bust, Ferenc Erkel Grade School, Budapest, Hungary [6]

Medals ad small sculptures (selection)

1992 – Ferenc Flór Prize, memorial plaque and badge, Ministry of National Defence,

1992 – János Hunyadi Prize, memorial plaque and badge, Ministry of National Defence, Hungary

1992 – Miklós Zrínyi Prize, memorial plaque and badge, Ministry of National Defence, Hungary

1996 – Nemzeti Minőségi Díj, small sculpture, Hungary's prime minister

1998 – For the Children of the World, UNICEF 2000–forint, silver memorial coin, Hungarian National Bank

1999 – István Menyhárd Prize, small sculpture, Hungarian Chamber of Engineers

2000 – Gejza Ferdinandy Prize, memorial plaque and badge, Ministry of National Defence, Hungary

2000 – Szilárd Zielinski Prize, small sculpture, Hungarian Chamber of Engineers

2001 – Figures is Hungarian books for young people, 200–forint, memorial coin, Hungarian National Bank

Ferenc Molnár: A Pál utcai fiúk

Mihály Fazekas: Lúdas Matyi

Sándor Petőfi: János Vitéz

János Arany: Toldi

2001 – Imre Pekár Prize, small sculpture, Chamber of Engineers, Hajdú–Bihar County.

2001 – László Csány Prize, small sculpture, Hungarian Chamber of Engineers

2002 – Pál Hajnik Prize, memorial plaque and badge, Ministry of National Defence, Hungary

2003 – András Hadik Prize, memorial plaque and badge, Ministry of National Defence, Hungary

2004 – Pécsi ókeresztény sírkamrák, 5000-forint, silver, memorial coin, Hungarian National Bank

2005 – Lázár Mészáros Prize, memorial plaque and badge, Ministry of National Defence, Hungary

2006 – Gyula Andrássy Prize, memorial plaque and badge, Ministry of National Defence, Hungary

2007 – 550 anniversary of accession of King Mathias Corvinus , 50.000.–forint, gold, memorial coin, Hungarian National Bank

2007 – Bishop Lajos Ordass Prize, small sculpture and memorial plaque, Hungarian Lutheran Church

2007 – Sándor Prónay Prize, small sculpture and memorial plaque, Hungarian Lutheran Church

2008 – John Calvin memorial medals, Hungarian Calvinist Church

2009 – 200th Anniversary of birth of Ferenc Erkel, 5000-forint, memorial coin, Hungarian National Bank. Collector-series „The smallest gold coin of the world”.

2010 – 200th Anniversary of birth of Adam Clark, 5000-forint, memorial coin, Hungarian National Bank. Collector-series „The smallest gold coin of the world”.

Memberships

1984 – Association of Hungarian Creative Artists

1991 – Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists, Medal Section.

1995 – FIDEM, Fédération Internationale de la Médaille d'Art.

1996 – 1998 British Art Medal Society (BAMS).

1997 – Százados úti Művésztelep Egyesület.

2007 – Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists, Goldsmith Section.

2008 – Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists, Sculpture Section.

Offices Held

1989 – 1992 Aurea Arts & Crafts Association Member of the Executive.

1992 – 1999 Aurea Art Support Trust Member of the Executive.

1995 – ART '95 Limited Partnership Founding President.

2000 – Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists Medal Section member of the Executive.

2004 – Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists Medal Section President.

2004 – Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists member of the Presidium.

2005 – National Biennial of Medal Art member of the Organizing Committee.

2015 – Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists Sculpture Section President.