Biography
1884 Born in Gyor, Hungary
1888 Moved to Budapest
1902 Taught painting by Janos Pentelei-Molnar
Studied at University of Budapest, philosophy, physics and mathematics
1905 Compulsory military service with the Austro-Hungarian army
1906-07 Travelled to Paris. Studied briefly at the Academie Julian, but gave up academic training to study alone. Influenced by the paintings of Matisse, Van Gogh, Cezanne.
1909 Founded a group of artists known as Keresok (The Seekers), bringing contemporary painting to Hungary
1911 Keresok Group changed their name to Nycolcak (The Eights), exhibiting at the National Salon, Budapest. Travelled to Paris for six months
1912-13 Called up for military service in the Balkan war
1915 Married Alice Vajda, a doctor serving in the army
1920-30 Travelled at various times to Spain, Italy, Germany and the Balkans
1925-26 Returned to Paris. A very active period of painting
1928 Painting purchased for the Hungarian National collection
1931-39 Founded and directed the Arts and Crafts Academy, Atelier, in Budapest
1937 Painting 'Cathedral in Eger' 1928 seized by the Nazis from Nuremberg Museum collection, never recovered
1939 Flees Budapest, travelling to London, then to Sydney where he settles
1942 Enlisted in the Australian Army as a private
Began own art school. Worked as a spray painter in a Sydney factory
1944 Painting purchased by the Art Gallery of New South Wales
1946-49 President of the Contemporary Art Society of Australia, NSW branch (Vice-President 1947-48)
1948 Began exhibiting with the Sydney Group
1953 Elected Chairman of the Unesco National Committee of Visual Arts
Travelled in Italy and France for six months
1957-67 Conducted summer schools in painting at the University of New England, Armidale
1961 Judge for the 1960 Sulman Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Travelled to Hong Kong and Japan
1964-65 Travelled around the world and in Europe
1972 Travelled to Japan
1975 Awarded an OBE for his service to the arts
1982 Awarded Gold Medal of the Order of the Hungarian Flag by the Hungarian People's Republic
Selected Solo Exhibitions
1917 Solo exhibition, Konyves Kalman Gallery, Budapest
1923 Helikon Gallery, Budapest
1924-31 Various solo exhibitions in Hungary, Romania and Czehoslovakia
1943 Notanda Gallery, Sydney
1944 Farmer's Blaxland Gallery, Sydney
1946 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney; Myer Art Gallery, Melbourne
1950 David Jones Art Gallery, Sydney
1952, 59 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
1955 John Martin Art Gallery, Adelaide; Bissietta Art Gallery, Sydney
1957 Brummel's Gallery, Melbourne
1960 Newcastle Regional Art Gallery
1963 Komon Gallery, Sydney; War Memorial Gallery of Fine Arts, University of Sydney; Douglas Galleries, Brisbane; Ipswich Arts Centre, Queensland
1964-68 Komon Gallery, Sydney
1969 Retrospective, Newcastle Regional Art Gallery
1969 Von Bertouch Galleries, Newcastle; Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
1970, 71 Toorak Art Gallery, Melbourne
1972 Reid Gallery, Brisbane; Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney
1973 Langsam Galleries, Melbourne; The Sculpture Gallery, Sydney; Reid Gallery, Brisbane; Skinner Gallery, Perth
1975 Retrospective, Art Gallery of New South Wales
1976 David Sumner Gallery, Adelaide
1977 Artarmon Gallery, Sydney
1978 Barry Stern Gallery, Sydney; Queen Street Gallery, Sydney
1979 Trinity Delmar Gallery, Sydney
1980 New South Wales House, London
1981 Niagara Lane Gallery, Melbourne
Selected Group Exhibitions
1909-12 Exhibited with the Keresok Group, then Nycolcak Group, in Budapest and Berlin
1914 Exhibition of Hungarian Artists, Vienna Kunstlerhaus
1918 Ernst Gallery, Budapest
1932 Still Life Exhibition, National Salon, Budapest – Hungarian representative
1940 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
1943 Became a regular exhibitor with the Contemporary Art Society and the Society of Artists
'Australia in Pictures', David Jones Art Gallery, Sydney
1944 'Contemporary Australian Painting', Art Gallery of New South Wales
'One Hundred and Fifty Years of Painting in Australia 1794-1944', Art Gallery of NSW
1945 The Herald Exhibition of 'Present Day Australian Art', Lower Town Hall, Melbourne
1948 Began exhibiting with The Sydney Group
1950 'Sydney Art Today', Finney's Gallery, Brisbane; Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
1951 'Jubilee Exhibition of Australian Art'
1952 'Australian Painting', Art Gallery of NSW; Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
1954 Royal Tour Exhibition, The Fellowship of Australian Artists
1954-56 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
1956 'Contemporary Australian Painting', Pacific Loan Exhibition, Art Gallery of NSW and on board the 'SS Orcades'
1959 'Exposition des peintures du group Australian et Baltes', Gallerie Royale, Paris
1963 Australian Art Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1971 'Hungarian Avant Garde 1909-1930', Munich and Milan
1971-82 Numerous group exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth
Awards
1929 Gold medal, International Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain (still life painting)
1957 Wagga Wagga Art Prize
1967 Blake Prize
1967 Muswellbrook Art Prize
1971 Blake Prize
1971 Wollongong Art Prize
1974 International Co-operation Art Award
1975 Awarded an OBE for his service to the arts
Collections
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest
Municipal Art Gallery, Szeged, Hungary
Nuremberg Museum, Germany
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart
Western Australian Art Gallery, Perth
Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, Victoria
Benalla Art Gallery, Victoria
Geelong Art Gallery, Victoria
Hamilton Art Gallery, Victoria
Mildura Arts Centre, Victoria
Newcastle Regional Art Gallery, NSW
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston
University Art Gallery, University of Melbourne
Municipal collections: Wollongong, Muswellbrook