“I selected colors, faces, moods and then transformed them into the most colorful works of my life so far. I realized that the world is full of colors, you just have to use them The jungle completely brought me back to my childhood, freedom, beauty and tranquility“ I've never had such a colorful series before.”
Herman Levente
Herman is a poetic exaltation in his observations, pictorial lyricism of concrete elements of nature and very sensitive representation of contemporary times; social loneliness, individual loneliness or neglect of appreciation of the perceptuality of the true environment, of feelings from where we interact with the nature of Being, worlds with rust and fragmentation such as concrete blocks, broken televisions, cigarette butts, empty homes, the gazes of men and women, the sight of the sun, the sight of the sun, the sight of the sun, the sight of the sun, the sight of the sun, the sight of the sun, the sight of the sun, the sight of the sun and the sight of the moon, empty homes, men's gazes lost and fixed to the grayness of a time of the past and also of the future, a scenario of sensation of closeness to the grayness of that time and at the same time futuristic elements, you don't know if you are in the past or in the apocalyptic future.
But Levente is also color of life, life that already marks his present of freedom something that he manages to have after a process of assimilation and perceptual work in his internal history with his environment, his social atmospheres where he lives, now he activates his vibrant genetics by focusing on a new reality of himself, the beginning of the return of freedom “The jungle gave me back completely to my childhood, freedom, beauty and tranquility”.
now the author is searching and finding more exciting characters and places that synthesizes and simplifies with that freedom to understand new worlds whether secret or open, as the existence of the beings of the Mayan regions; faces, ancestral faces, blood of various colors, shades that speak a new language for the observer, the interacting that motivates creations of thought and perceptions in images and colors of tranquility, the return to oneself.
Levente has the talent to capture in his works the soul life in the eyes, decodes and encodes in the paths of life of each character. Probably now the dismantled reality of realistic despair, the monochromatic color, dark tones, rhythmic repetition, personalized fences has moved to an enchantment of divinity consolidated in the good, in the luminous multichromatic life here and now.
Interview with Herman Levente granted exclusively to Art News Cozumel.
-Could you tell me why you chose to make these types of faces that you show in the museum, what was the inspiration to make them in this technique and format?
-I was in Mexico City two years ago and I really liked the character of the people, so I decided to deal with them. As for the size, for me they are medium size images, I usually make larger images.
-Do you feel that you had a special connection with the ancestral Mexica culture of this region of Mexico? And how do you perceive this connection? What is it that most impassioned you to live with the living Mexican people of this region and their spaces of coexistence?
-Anyway, it is special for me because I was able to spend almost two months in Mexico with my friends, through whom I met many people. The way of life here is calm, completely different from the accelerated European culture, which gave me peace and tranquility.
-Do you think that Mayan art still has a lot of power, and do you think that this artistic legacy of our ancestors will remain among us both for Mexicans and foreign visitors, that is to say, it will fill our hearts with its creative and spiritual force when we come in contact with it?
-Mayan culture and art are very much captured, it was nice to see and experience that local people are attached to it and have it clear. I experienced it also in a spiritual sense, its color scheme and message had a great impact on me. It opened up a path for me that I had not experienced before. I had never had such a colorful series before.
What did you feel when you produced your work in the process of being in the jungle. Would you like to live this experience again?
-The jungle brought me back to my childhood, the freedom, the beauty and the tranquility slowed me down a bit, so I could pay attention to every second I spent there.
-What do you think of the circle of art creators you were living with?
-I have participated in many artists' camps, the people are not the same. I like the openness and clarity of mind, I can also be free and open to open people.
-What was your perception of the public attending the opening of your exhibition?
-I'm glad that so many people came to the opening. They were obviously interested in my work, it was nice to see them browsing and looking at the photographs up close.
What is your opinion of Sako the museography of the Island museum and the whole museum team?
-I've met Sako before at European artist camps. She is very thorough in everything she does. Unfortunately, not many people know what it takes to put together an exhibition and present it in such a way that it can be enjoyed. She worked very hard during my exhibition and I am very grateful to her. Of course, I did not forget the management and the other people who helped with other, even small, details of the exhibition. Many thanks to them as well.
-Could you share with us an anecdote during your stay here on the island or Playa del Carmen?
-On the day of my exhibition, I was walking towards the museum with a guitar in my hand and a local person stopped me. I played a little for him and then he accompanied me to a place with a terrace where he hired me as a musician. I told him I won't have time to play because I have a schedule, but I'll be back here someday. He said I know exactly. I hope to be back in October.
-Finally, what could you add to this interview?
I really liked the lifestyle that Mexicans lead. They don't try hard, they accept things as they are and are open to new things. This helped me a lot to shape and change my own way of thinking.
-Thank you very much Levente and congratulations for your beautiful work. We look forward to seeing you soon.
-I also thank you and I think we will meet in October.
Herman Levente speak
On the occasion of the exhibition I wanted to return to portraits. I had several series in which I represented faces. For my current series, I have chosen faces that are authentic Mexican faces with distinctive genetic traits.
My main goal was to capture the local characters and the elegant execution of these portraits. I wanted to include some portraits with local Mexican face painting that incorporated the cultural face painting of the Day of the Dead. My intention was to paint ten to fifteen large portraits.
I used different magazines, from which I selected colors, faces, moods and then transformed them. All these works were made here in Mexico. Two of my friends, Daniela and Stano, gave me a place for everything in their house in Sacbe, where I could create my works. The present works reflect the most colorful works of my life so far. These are all my impressions of what I have seen and experienced during the last month here. I realized that the world is full of colors, you just have to use them.
I usually paint with oil paint, but I painted these minks with acrylic. As I create series, the works are created almost synchronously, I don't finish them all at the same time, I go back to them and finish them at the same time at the end.
Each series is a season, an atmosphere or a time or period spent somewhere.
The way of life here is calm, completely different from the fast-paced European culture, which gave me peace and tranquility.
I was 15 years old when communism ended. In spite of everything, he had a free and very meaningful childhood. As an engineer, his father was often taken away by the Romanian Secret Police because they considered him an intelligent person and this was dangerous for the communists.
He draws and paints since he was three years old, his grandmother and mother were industrial artists, so he was on the brink of the fire. When he was in fifth grade, he was admitted to the elementary art school, from which he was expelled after two-thirds of the year because his father was not a communist. After the regime change, he returned there after graduating. In 1995 he joined the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. He graduated in 2000
then worked as a salesman in a piano hall for half a year. This is how he started his career. He worked as a bricklayer, carpenter, restorer, warehouseman, film and theater actor, gravedigger.
His paintings are dominated by a somber and playful atmosphere hidden in the smallest details. The main motifs of his works trace a sort of personal iconography. His works do not aspire to a realistic representation of reality, but offer another world impregnated with memories kept from reality.
Herman Levente
Born on March 9, 1976 in Marosvásárhely (Transylvania). He was 15 years old when communism ended. In spite of everything, he had a free and very meaningful childhood. As an engineer, his father was often taken away by the Romanian Secret Police because they considered him an intelligent person and this was dangerous for the communists. He learned to work with different materials and use tools in his father's workshop. Both of his grandfathers were carpenters, so he easily learned woodworking, something he still practices today. As a hobby, he also makes medieval instruments, lute and theorbo. He has been drawing and painting since he was three years old; his grandmother and mother were industrial artists, so he was on the brink of fire. When he was in fifth grade, he was admitted to the elementary art school, from which he was expelled after two-thirds of the year because his father was not a communist. After the regime change, he returned there after graduating. In 1995 he joined the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. He graduated in 2000 and then worked as a salesman in a piano hall for half a year. Thus began his career. He worked as a bricklayer, carpenter, restorer, warehouseman, film and theater actor, gravedigger. Since 2004 he regularly participates in solo and group exhibitions both in Europe and abroad.
Most of his work starts from our existing world and often associates it with surreal, typically realistic elements. He creates series, usually of large images. His paintings are dominated by a somber and playful atmosphere hidden in the smallest details. The main motifs of his works trace a sort of personal iconography. His works do not aspire to a realistic representation of reality, but offer another world impregnated with stored memories of reality.
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