Blood, Sweat & Tears

Published on 21 May 2019

Acclaimed artist and Blacktown resident of over 30 years, Vitéz Dr. Alex Sándor Kolozsy, will be exhibiting 50 of his sculptors and oil paintings at the Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre.

The exhibition features bronze artworks of many well-known Australian figures, including the late artist Tom Bass, and musician Johnny O’Keefe, and famous places such as the Kokoda Track.

Mayor Stephen Bali said the exhibition was an opportunity to see a world renowned artist located in Blacktown. 

“We are delighted to be showcasing the artworks of an important migrant artist who has made Blacktown his home for the last three decades.”

The artist’s inspiration has come from the classical European tradition of sculpture.

“I think Rodin is one of my favourites,” Kolozsy said.

“I do not copy, but over the years I have developed my own impressionistic figurative style.”

“My sculptures are not smooth. I have a certain texture on the surfaces, and I refine the highlights, and I aim to reflect the spirit and soul of the person in their portrait, which is the most important aspect of my work.”

Kolozsy arrived in Australia in 1958 on the Dutch ship, Johan Van Oldevarneveld, with 3,000 Dutch and 7 Hungarian migrants. Two years earlier he was a young freedom-fighter in Budapest repelling the invasion of his country by Soviet Russia, taking over a tank in front of the Parliament building and hoisting the Hungarian national flag, despite being wounded. This same flag is part of the artist’s personal memorabilia to be featured in the exhibition alongside his sculptures, drawings and paintings.

Kolozsy - has many permanent public sculptures across Australia, including a memorial to the pioneering women of Australia located at Jessie Street Square in Sydney.

Kolozsy – the sculptor was awarded an International Gold Medal in 1981 by the Arpad Academy in Cleveland, Ohio, and in 1991 he was awarded a Cultural Doctorate in Visual Arts from Benson, Arizona. His work is held in the Royal Art Collection, London, the Presidential Collection, Washington, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra and the Australian Parliament Art Collection.

Last year he was knighted as Vitéz by the Hungarian Parliament. He is currently Sculptor-in-Residence with the Blacktown Showground Society

Exhibition dates:

23 May – 27 June 2019

The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission to the exhibition is free.

ABOUT BLACKTOWN ARTS

Blacktown Arts is a recognised leader in the development of contemporary arts in Australia. We support artistic innovation and offer exciting, new experiences for audiences through an award-winning curated program of exhibitions, performances, workshops, residencies and events. We are committed to making dynamic, culturally diverse work that reflects Blacktown, its history and its communities. We place Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and communities at the heart of our program to develop new work drawing on issues of local and global significance. This is how we make art.