“The pictures are excellent, very, very beautiful, they show a different kind of world than his art about the Hortobágy, Hajdúság, the men of Hajdú. For the landscape is forever but the man on it always changes, as in literature. And as in literature, it is not only what the poet sees gets “painted” but also himself, and this is the same in fine art and painting art.
It was in the old papers that he had completed a great mission when we got to know him, at the Hajdúság Artists’ Colony in 1964.
Hungarian literature in books, textbooks and lexicons was more about what was born within the borders, and Hungarian painting was also characterized by the fact that the painter lived within Hungary. Difficult to understand today what this meant. When there was no road, where could a Transylvanian go? Where could a Hungarian in Slovakia go? Or where could a Transcarpathian go? This may have been the first time they were invited as friends, relatives and here Westerners could see it, Hungarian experts could see it, and they could write it all and invite them further west, so it was a mediating station, these art colonies had an extraordinary role, I know you were the main driver.”
Mihály Cine
FROM THE OPENING SPEECH OF IMRE ÉGERHÁZI’S TRANSYLVANIAN EXHIBITON OPENING CEREMONY,
AT GALÉRIA VÁRMEGYE, BUDAPEST ON 8TH NOVEMBER 1995.