CV/Curriculum vitae

Gyula Medgyessy-Kovács

(1963, Debrecen, Hungary)

Gyula Zoltán Kovács, known as Gyula Medgyessy-Kovács was born in Debrecen in Hungary in 1963. He is a collateral descendant of the sculptor Ferenc Medgyessy. After finishing his studies at Hőgyes Endre Secondary School in Hajdúszoboszló, he moved to Budapest. He started attending the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, majoring in painting in 1987, and graduated in 1991. His masters were Lajos Sváby and Károly Klimó.

As a child he decided to become a painter. He used to paint with brushes and drew a lot. He painted self-portraits, his father and other family members. His pre-academy studies also showed an expressive style. His expressive nature was already recognized by his masters at the college evening preparatory course and was introduced to the renowned masters of the expressive world. After graduation, he painted large-scale figural sacral subjects with powerful gestures. He paints directly with his hand, edge of the palm of his hand, fingers or from tube. Since the 2000s his works have been included in the Körmendy-Csák collection as the youngest living contemporary artist. From 2007 he used to run the Bank Center Gallery with his friend Győző Bihon, where new contemporary art exhibitions were organized monthly. In 2015 he was awarded the Holló László Prize, founded by the University of Debrecen. Commissioned by the Municipality of Hajdúszoboszló, he painted a series of six historical “pannos” in 2019 the largest outdoor historical panel painting series in Hungary. The Hungarian National Gallery also has a Medgyessy-Kovács Gyula still life in its contemporary collection.  His work has been digitally processed into the electronic collection of the National Széchenyi Library (MEK). Influenced by his surroundings, he began to create landscapes, still lifes, cityscapes, and later abstract paintings and series. His expressive style and personality continued to mature and change. He makes expressionist artworks with complementary colours and subtler gestures, using more paints, thus increasing the pastosity.

He has been playing the piano since the age of 7. He studied classical music for seven years. His improvisational skills were already evident at an early age when he was studying classical music. In addition to his studies at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, he learnt jazz piano, composition and improvisation privately for 8 years from the pianist and composer Károly Binder. His musical expression was influenced by Keith Jarreth and Chick Corea. During his art exhibitions, he regularly gave concerts both with Károly Binder and solo. In 2002 his first solo album, Painter’s Music was released by BMM. For the last ten years he has been composing in Balatonfüred. His second solo album, inspired by his work in Balatonfüred, entitled Tagore Moods, was released in 2018 also by BMM.

For more than 30 years he has been working as an artist in Balatonfüred in summers. Since 2008, he has been painting, creating, and exhibiting his works in the former Dániel-Villa, a 120-year-old listed villa opposite the Silver Hotel on the shores of Lake Balaton. Nowadays the artist’s studio gallery in Balatonfüred is known as Medgyessy Villa.

Gyula Zoltán Kovács, known as Gyula Medgyessy-Kovács was born in Debrecen in Hungary in 1963. He is a collateral descendant of the sculptor Ferenc Medgyessy. After finishing his studies at Hőgyes Endre Secondary School in Hajdúszoboszló, he moved to Budapest. He  started attending the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, majoring in painting in 1987, and graduated in 1991. His masters were Lajos Sváby and Károly Klimó.

As a child he decided to become a painter. He used to paint with brushes and drew a lot. He painted self-portraits, his father and other family members. His pre-academy studies also showed an expressive style. His expressive nature was already recognized by his masters at the college evening preparatory course and was introduced to the renowned masters of the expressive world. After graduation, he painted large-scale figural sacral subjects with powerful gestures. He paints directly with his hand, edge of the palm of his hand, fingers or from tube. Since the 2000s his works have been included in the Körmendy-Csák collection as the youngest living contemporary artist. From 2007 he used to run the Bank Center Gallery with his friend Győző Bihon, where new contemporary art exhibitions were organized monthly. In 2015 he was awarded the Holló László Prize, founded by the University of Debrecen. Commissioned by the Municipality of Hajdúszoboszló, he painted a series of six historical “pannos” in 2019 the largest outdoor historical panel painting series in Hungary. The Hungarian National Gallery also has a Medgyessy-Kovács Gyula still life in its contemporary collection.  His work has been digitally processed into the electronic collection of the National Széchenyi Library (MEK). Influenced by his surroundings, he began to create landscapes, still lifes, cityscapes, and later abstract paintings and series. His expressive style and personality continued to mature and change. He makes expressionist artworks with complementary colours and subtler gestures, using more paints, thus increasing the pastosity.

He has been playing the piano since the age of 7. He studied classical music for seven years. His improvisational skills were already evident at an early age when he was studying classical music. In addition to his studies at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, he learnt jazz piano, composition and improvisation privately for 8 years from the pianist and composer Károly Binder. His musical expression was influenced by Keith Jarreth and Chick Corea. During his art exhibitions, he regularly gave concerts both with Károly Binder and solo. In 2002 his first solo album, Painter’s Music was released by BMM. For the last ten years he has been composing in Balatonfüred. His second solo album, inspired by his work in Balatonfüred, entitled Tagore Moods, was released in 2018 also by BMM.

For more than 30 years he has been working as an artist in Balatonfüred in summers. Since 2008, he has been painting, creating, and exhibiting his works in the former Dániel-Villa, a 120-year-old listed villa opposite the Silver Hotel on the shores of Lake Balaton.  Nowadays the artist’s studio gallery in Balatonfüred is known as Medgyessy Villa.

Solo exhibitions

1989M GalleryBudapest, Hungary
1991Barcsay HallBudapest, Hungary
1992Liszt Ferenc Academy of MusicBudapest, Hungary
1993Kovács Máté Municipal Cultural Center and LibraryHajdúszoboszló, Hungary
1994University of Debrecen, GalleryDebrecen, Hungary
1998Karda GalleryBudapest, Hungary
2000University of Debrecen, GalleryDebrecen, Hungary
2000Kovács Máté Municipal Cultural Center and LibraryHajdúszoboszló, Hungary
2001Hotel AranybikaDebrecen, Hungary
2001Körmendi GallerySopron, Hungary
2003Duna PlazaBudapest, Hungary
2003National Dance TheatreBudapest, Hungary
2004Körmendi GalleryBudapest, Hungary
2004Aranytíz Átrium GalleryBudapest, Hungary
2005Isabell GalleryInnsbruck, Hungary
2005Szalóky Anna Gallery, Bank CenterBudapest, Hungary
2005Art ExpoDebrecen, Hungary
2006Pilis Lelke FestivalSolymár, Hungary
2006Jazz Festival of SolymárSolymár, Hungary
2007-2008Bank Center GalleryBudapest, Hungary
2009Pesti LámpásBudapest, Hungary
2011Art ExpoNimes, France
2011LineArtGent, Belgium
2015Kovács Máté Municipal Cultural Center and LibraryHajdúszoboszló, Hungary
2019Kovács Máté Municipal Cultural Center and LibraryHajdúszoboszló, Hungary
2006-Permanent exhibition; Medgyessy Studio-GalleryBalatonfüred, Hungary

Group exhibitions

1995Városi GalleryBalatonfüred, Hungary
2000Gutmann Gallery, “ÖTÖK” exhibitionBudapest, Hungary
2000Kovács Máté Municipal Cultural Center and LibraryHajdúszoboszló, Hungary
2004Kovács Máté Municipal Cultural Center and LibraryHajdúszoboszló, Hungary
2002-2006 summersTérműhely outdoor-group exhibitionBalatonfüred, Hungary
CsernyBudapest, Hungary
Dr. Budai and Mrs. Budai Dunakeszi, Hungary
Dr. Csevár-CzifraPilisvörösvár, Hungary
Dr. DrucskóGyőr, Hungary
Dr. Feith and Mrs. FeithBudapest, Hungary
Dr. RécziczaBudapest, Hungary
Dr. ÚrHajdúszoboszló, Hungary
HerdonDebrecen, Hungary
HuszárBudapest, Hungary
JeschFonyód, Hungary
KaracsBudapest, Hungary
KecskemétiGyula, Hungary
KenézTokaj, Hungary
KerezsiSopron, Hungary
Körmendi-Csák Budapest, Hungary
MolnárHajdúböszörmény, Hungary
Mr. and Mrs. MichielsensAntwerp, Belgium
Mr. and Mrs. Révész Székesfehérvár, Hungary
Mr. and Mrs. Székely Veresegyháza, Hungary
Orbán Szentendre, Hungary
Papp-SarkadiHajdúszoboszló, Hungary
SágiBudapest, Hungary
VirágDebrecen, Hungary
YiginUlm, Germany
ZardoyaBarcelona, Spain
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