István Vágó

István Vágó, enamel artist, has dedicated himself to the unique field of enamel painting for nearly 25 years. It is a magical material and technique. As one gains the necessary expertise, the enamel artist develops a unique technique, much like a fingerprint. Later, a style emerges. In his case, an interest in history naturally led him to the historicizing style, focusing on the processing of myths and legends. Additionally, he enjoys exploring various styles and movements. He finds challenges and depth in working with themes in Renaissance or Art Deco styles, or even boldly blending different styles in a collage-like manner. His journey has been varied and challenging, marked by both the shining stones of hope and the deep pits of failure and despair. He has learned from masters such as Zsigmond Károlyi and Ernő Tolvay, who made him realize at a young age that the talent within him should not be wasted, and guided his flourishing imagination between techniques. They steered him to use tools that would express his philosophical thoughts in a way that even the finest nuances of those heavy thoughts could be displayed and inspire a deeper inner process in the viewer. Thus, he takes advantage of the sensory, but above all the intellectual, illusory, and conceptual possibilities that transparency, translucency, covering, and overpainting offer. His works combine the tools of symbolism with the knowledge, faith, and rebirth of the Renaissance world, the warm, dreamy colors of Romanticism, and the wide narrative arsenal of decoration. These are the visual expressions and representations of the thinker, the wise person who continues to reflect on life. Most of his works express his ideas through figurative elements. His message is sometimes conveyed through colors or non-figurative elements surrounded by patterns, backgrounds, and mysterious details. If we examine the highly detailed works with meticulous attention, we find that they carry a deeper essence interwoven with philosophical backgrounds and historical knowledge, offered within the technical limitations of this demanding art form. Defining his style is difficult, but based on his current works—whether they are jewelry or larger pieces—it could be said that his style is increasingly representative of the Pre-Raphaelite-Symbolist movement, where Pre-Raphaelite romantic features appear in figurative representations and elements. His technique belongs to the French origin "pictorial enamels" within Limoges enamel art, meaning the painting of enamel colors on metal plates, which is related to the painter's work in the fine arts, akin to watercolor or oil painting. Although still relatively young, he has been praised by masters such as Endre Szász and Mihály Kátay. However, domestic success came later. In 1997, Walker Connor, a young American, introduced his works at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Denver, where he won first place at his very first appearance in 1998. From then on, his professional success grew year by year, and he received numerous prestigious invitations to exhibitions and events. (Among others: 1999 USA Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, 2000 USA American Craft Show, New York, 2001 USA Winter Park Arts Festival, Orlando, 2001 USA Long Park Arts Festival, Lancaster, 2005-2009 USA Sausalito Arts Festival, San Francisco). Between 2000-2023, he received awards almost every year at the Three Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh. The symbolic images, artworks built from the forms of Hungarian and other European cultures, with their mysticism, knowledge, and symbolism, found their way to the art-loving rooms of the New World, where they were met with acclaim. This brought patrons and, in time, the domestic art scene also took notice of his works. He is also known for creating the commemorative object for the Jamison Cinefest award at the Miskolc International Film Festival, which has been received by many world-famous actors, directors, and cinematographers. Over time, however, the message of his works has evolved, becoming even more understandable and profound. The artist, disillusioned by the machinations of history, turned towards the roots of philosophy and the new paths offered by literature (Camus), filling his creations with new content that may resonate more with the Hungarian audience. His goal is to "speak the unspeakable," pointing to the interconnections of the elements of existence with symbols, presenting ancient myths in a 21st-century context, and visually representing concepts that are difficult or impossible to articulate with words. In his works, visual signs carry symbolic, emotional meanings, but they do not entirely break away from realism; they address themes that are timeless and hold relevance for today's world. (Applied by Renáta Herczeg – art historian) Awards 1997 “Magyarország 2000”, Hungarian Academy of Applied Arts Special Award, Budapest 1998 Cherry Creek Arts Festival, First Place 1998 Pest County Council Special Award, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest 2000 Ministry of National Cultural Heritage Award, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest 2001 Winter Park Arts Festival, Merit Award 2001 Three Rivers Arts Festival, Festival Award 2002 Three Rivers Arts Festival, Festival Award 2003 Three Rivers Arts Festival, Best of Show 2004 Three Rivers Arts Festival, Merit Award 2005 Sausalito Arts Festival, First Place (Best U.S. Festival in 2005) 2005 Three Rivers Arts Festival, Festival Award 2008 Three Rivers Arts Festival, Best of Show 2012 Three Rivers Arts Festival, Jurors' Merit Award 2014 Three Rivers Arts Festival, Jurors' Merit Award 2016 Three Rivers Arts Festival, Festival Award 2017 Three Rivers Arts Festival, Jurors' Choice 2023 Three Rivers Arts Festival, Best in Show Exhibitions Exhibitions in Hungary 1997 Harlequin Gallery, Pécs 1998 City Gallery, Tiszaújváros 1999 RTL Klub Television, Budapest 2000 Tokaji Ferenc High School, Tokaj 2000 Eger Gallery, Eger 2006 Miskolc Gallery, Miskolc 2009 Palace Hotel, Lillafüred 2016 Szerencs, Tourist Center Exhibitions in the United States 1998 USA Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, CO 1999 USA Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, CO 2000 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2000 USA American Craft Show, New York City 2001 USA Winter Park Arts Festival, Orlando, FL 2001 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2001 USA Long's Park Arts Festival, Lancaster, PA 2001 USA Hungarian Embassy, Washington DC 2002 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2002 USA Objet D’Heart Gallery, Washington DC 2003 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2004 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2005 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2005 USA Sausalito Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA 2006 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2006 USA Sausalito Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA 2007 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2007 USA Sausalito Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA 2008 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2009 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2010 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2011 UK Blackall Studios Gallery, London 2012 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2014 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2014 USA Sausalito Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA 2015 USA Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 2016 USA, Pittsburgh, Three Rivers Arts Festival 2017 USA, Pittsburgh, Three Rivers Arts Festival 2019 USA, Pittsburgh, Three Rivers Arts Festival 2022 USA, Pittsburgh, Three Rivers Arts Festival 2023 USA, Pittsburgh, Three Rivers Arts Festival