Imre Kéri

Posted in Artist

Classically trained at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts,

Imre Kéri quickly rose to prominence as one of Hungary’s leading graphic artists. His works are on exhibition at major European art fairs and are held in many public and private collections throughout Europe. He is married to Ilona Decsi, an equally talented artist who specializes in oils and drawing.

Kéri was born on April 13, 1945, in Balatonfüred, Hungary, in one of the many small villages surrounding Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe. His childhood home was a water mill. He frequently recalls his early impressions of old stone walls, dark candleit rooms inside, and white light outside-his first experience in the world of blacks and whites. This black and white vision of the world is remembered in moving recollections of the rich whiteness of snow. This early vision can be seen expressed in his fine black and white mezzotints that are eagerly sought by private collectors.

His artistic talents began to emerge when he was ten-years old with drawings of the surrounding natural world. His lifelong commitment to the fine-arts was realized when he enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest in 1966. He interrupted his studies whe he spent one month in Amsterdam where he was strongly influenced by the graphic works of Rembrandt.

He returned to the Academy of Fine Arts and recived his diploma in 1971.

Kéri continued to live and work in Budapest producing a series of oils and mezzotints wich lead to his first one-man show in Venice, Italy in 1978. The next year he returned to Amsterdam for threee months to continue his study of the graphic arts. This period of study was followed with an exhibition of his works in Kassel, Germany.

Since then, his works have been shown at most major European graphic art biennales in: Biella (Italy 1993, 1995), Genoa, Roma, Fribourg (Switzerland), Tokyo, and most recently in Spain at the Caixa Ourense V Biennial Internacional de Grabado (1998) and the Budapest Fine Art Fair. London, Magyar Magic, (2004), Venezia, Stamperia del Tintoretto, (2005), Antwerpen, Epreuve d’Artiste Galerie (2007) Kölner Druck – kunst – 2008
2008 H–Balatonfüred, 2009 Cremona–Art of etching press, International mezzotint exhibition 2011 -Ekaterinburg

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