Biography
My name is Andi Szőnyi, and I am an amateur artist from Hungary.
I work with graphite, charcoal, pastel, watercolour, acrylic and oil paints, and I have also explored the fascinating world of gilding. My works are predominantly realistic in style, although I enjoy experimenting with different forms of artistic expression. Realism is perhaps the closest to me, but I am still searching for my own distinctive artistic path. In my most recent paintings, realistic and abstract elements are combined, bringing together decorative figurative representation and consciously structured geometric backgrounds.
For the past six years, my works have been featured in both group and solo exhibitions. In 2025, I held two solo exhibitions in my hometown of Debrecen. I regularly participate in exhibitions organised by the Valdor Art School of Drawing and Painting and the Golden Duck Gallery in Budapest, where my works have received awards on several occasions. In 2025, I was honoured with the Gallery’s “Best of Show” Award. This year, I also had the opportunity to participate in two group exhibitions in Vienna at CityGalleryVienna.
For several years, I have been a member of the Hungarian Artists’ International Association, and my works are regularly featured in the association’s literary, artistic and cultural magazine, published twice a year.
Project Statement
My artistic journey did not begin with a traditional fine arts education. I worked as a teacher for forty years, and throughout that time I sought to pass on my love of drawing and painting to my students. My own creative journey began as a hobby: I found joy in drawing and painting whatever touched me through its beauty or atmosphere.
Over time, however, I felt an increasingly strong desire not merely to capture what I saw, but to express my own thoughts and emotions through my work. I continued to develop my technical skills through the Mentor Programme at the Valdor Art School of Drawing and Painting, while exploring a variety of materials and forms of artistic expression. Realism remains closest to me, yet I am constantly searching for ways to move beyond the simple representation of visible reality.
In my most recent works, realism and abstraction come together. I combine figurative representation with carefully constructed geometric forms, decorative surfaces, and occasionally gilded details. This interplay allows me to explore not only the beauty of reality, but also its emotional and inner dimensions.
I am particularly drawn to human faces, the expressiveness of hands, and the portrayal of emotion. The interplay of light and shadow is an important element of my work, as is my desire to capture the fragile, transient beauty of a moment—whether my subject is a female figure, a still life, or a landscape.
When I create, the outside world seems to disappear. What remains is silence, colour, form, and a sense of inner harmony. For me, creating art is at once a source of peace, joy, and self-expression—a continuing journey through which I am still discovering and shaping my own artistic voice.
