Gáspár Szőke
1983, Budapest
Gáspár Szőke graduated in 2009 from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, majoring in painting in the class of Zoltán Tölg-Molnár. From the outset of his career, he has been investigating new directions in abstract painting, positioning his work at the intersection of two-dimensional and spatial abstraction. His artistic practice is rooted in the fundamental elements of painting, focusing on the interplay between form and color and their perceptual and optical possibilities.
Working within the realm of geometric abstraction, he delves into its boundaries, particularly the dialogue between organic and geometric non-figurative forms, their apparent contradictions, and the potentials of their reconciliation. In recent years, experiences gained during a scholarship in Rome inspired a shift in his focus toward examining the relationship between classical pattern systems and abstraction. His point of departure in this inquiry is architectural ornamentation and decorative painting.
Szőke’s doctoral research centers on the visual representation of motifs and symbols whose meanings vary across cultural and historical contexts. Through his most recent works, he investigates ancient and classical pattern systems and symbols, and explores how a motif – once stripped of its meaning and removed from its original context – can become a component of twentieth-century, modern, or contemporary visual expression. – Nagy Barbara
