On November 4, at 6 p.m., on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Imre Égerházi’s birth, we commemorated one of the greatest masters of 20th-century painting in the Great Plain with a book launch.
The book presenting the life’s work of Imre Égerházi, entitled “Imre Égerházi – Master of 20th-century Great Plain Painting,” was officially launched by its author, Attila Égerházi, in Debrecen on November 4, 2025. No better venue could have been chosen, as a few months earlier, this outstanding museum of modern art had hosted the “Égerházi Imre 100” exhibition, organized to mark the 100th anniversary of the Debrecen lived painter. The exhibition presented the comprehensive depth of his oeuvre with more than 120 works.
Attila Égerházi originally wanted to publish the book during the opening of the exhibition, but there was not enough time between the setting of the exhibition date and the opening to prepare the book. Therefore, he agreed with Kata Vizi, the director of MODEM, that when the book was ready, MODEM would reopen its doors for a presentation to the family caring for the artist’s legacy and the audience of Imre Égerházi. This is how the book launch came about on November 4, 2025.
Attila Égerházi planned this event as a colorful occasion featuring several program elements. Starting at 6 p.m., art writer Balázs Feledy, who was the co-curator of the anniversary exhibition, presented Imre Égerházi’s art through a work titled “Utcarész” (Street Scene) created in Hajdúböszörmény. With this solution, Attila Égerházi recalled the exhibition format beloved by Imre Égerházi, in which only one artist’s work is presented. It was important for him to use his paintings to present the environmental and social reality of the given era in such a way that an internal connection could develop between the work and the viewer. His relatively late work, painted in 2000 and selected for this occasion, was perfectly suited to creating this context.
After Balázs Feledy’s opening remarks, the author, Attila Égerházi, presented the book in detail in an audiovisual presentation. He explained the structure of the book and the most important aspects of its editing and production to an audience of around 120 interested people. In his own words, we can summarize the elements of the material collection, editing, and creative work spanning several decades as follows:
„This art album is the culmination of 24 years of work. Reproductions of 701 paintings and graphics and 113 photographs illustrate my book presenting the life and artistic career of Imre Égerházi. For 24 years, I have been documenting, collecting, researching, and processing my father’s artistic and art organizational legacy. From the very beginning, I insisted on using professional photography and image processing methods so that this comprehensive work could be produced in the best possible quality. With the help of the family legacy, institutional materials, and private collections, the paintings and graphics presented here provide a complete picture of Imre Égerházi’s art in terms of technique, content, and history. In the book, I have used contemporary and present-day critiques, reviews, and other writings by outstanding experts and renowned writers in order to authentically present the development of his unique painting style, not only in terms of the end result, but also in terms of the creative process. In many places, my father recounts the important milestones in his own words, painting the most authentic picture possible.
It has magical significance for me that we are sending the book to press on September 2, exactly on the 100th anniversary of Imre Égerházi’s birth.”
From 7 p.m., the evening ended with the highly successful panel discussion “Remembering Imre Égerházi” likes at the closing event of the January MODEM exhibition. The participants were painter Rudolf Velényi, a close friend and colleague of Imre Égerházi, and art writer Lajos Arany. The discussion was moderated by Balázs Feledy and Attila Égerházi, who themselves actively participated in the commemoration.
At the end of the event, the participants happily and appreciatively took possession of the book and leafed through its pages.
