Ottó Vágfalvi 90

Vágfalvi graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest. His masters were Rezső Burghardt, Róbert Berény and László Bencze. Since 1949 he has lived in Balatonfűzfő, near Veszprém. In 1957 he became director of the local cultural centre.

Vágfalvi was one of the iconic painters of Lake Balaton. He walked tirelessly along the lakeshore knowing every ripple of the reeds, the waves and the play of light, which was always new. He was featured in many exhibitions at home and abroad. His works can be found in the Hungarian National Gallery, in museums in Tokaj, Keszthely, Szerencs and in several public and private collections.

In addition to his creative work he also had time to nurture young talents: from the 1960s he led art workshops in Balatonfűzfő and Veszprém. His friendly, engaging personality and expertise launched many artists who have since become established in their careers, but hobbyists also enjoyed attending his eventful lectures. So when we wanted to welcome the 90-year-old artist with a surprise exhibition of not only his work but also that of some of his students, the donations came in droves. In the end, due to the limited exhibition space we exhibited the works of 14 "students" who have since moved to different parts of the country.

Exhibitors: Gabriella  Albóci / Bernadett Beri Szilágyi / Károly Enyedi / István Farkas / Lajos Fülöp / Ágnes Gaál / Zsuzsa Gyukli / László Hegyeshalmi / Sándor Kallai / Marcel Kelemen / Ágota Környei / Ágnes Kulcsár / Márton Magyari / István Mazzag / Imre Mészáros / Csaba Piller / László Szotyori / Zsuzsa Tihanyiné Bálint / Dóra Vágfalvi / Kata Vágfalvi

Vágfalvi was unable to attend the opening due to a serious illness and died a month after the opening. The anniversary exhibition was extended for another month as a memorial exhibition.
We created a unique installation, a poster, an invitation and museum education lessons to introduce the long career of the elderly painter to the younger generation. The exhibition was opened by director László Hegyeshalmi, a student and friend of Ottó Vágfalvi.