Emil Halmos
"[My] images are in a place between figuration and abstraction and sometimes get there from opposite directions. What I mean by that is, if for example, I start with something figurative or recognizable, I usually distort it until it’s not."
(b. 1982, in Budapest, Hungary, lives and works in Budapest, Hungary)
Interested in the very act of painting, Emil Halmos explores different linen textures, means of preparation, and the marks and impact that different paint brushes can make on the material. Sometimes completed very quickly, other times taking weeks or months of covering up and overpainting, his works produce a complexity of textures that vary from thin, inky paint to thicker, almost impasto work, or even glazing.
For Halmos, no preconceived idea nor theme precedes the act of painting, although certain visual elements such as a drawing, a previous work, or even an old master painting, can trigger the process. Largely guided by intuition, he constantly questions, challenges, and twists his beliefs around what a painting is or can be.
"An important aspect for me is to always leave some leeway to move in different directions."
Emil Halmos began painting and drawing as a child. After studying Graphic Design at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest (2003-04) and Illustration at the University of Brighton (2004-06), Halmos turned to painting as his medium of choice. This led him to study the history of old master painting and traditional techniques at the Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Italy (2006-08). His final stint of higher education was spent at the Royal Academy of the Arts in The Hague, Netherlands (2011-12), before deciding to return to Budapest, his native city. Over the past eight years, Emil Halmos has been dedicated to painting, research and technical experiments.
