Artist Statement

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The line between humor and pity is thin. It is the humor, and at times the ridiculous, that inspires and surfaces in my work. My art is a visceral response of honest Humanity, when it expresses kindness, care and service toward others, with humility, grace and poise. I am attracted to the mundane, the insignificant. 

The technique and process of creation of the artwork is an integral part of the visual story telling. I switch between paintings on canvas to graphite drawings. My life in art began by my mother’s loom. The method in weaving left an imprint on me about the importance of texture, and how I mix colors with palette knives; these in combination gives the soul to my artworks.

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Describe your work 

 

Encountering challenges and overcoming them is a Universal Human experience. In my most recent work this is on the forefront of my mind. 

This body of work is made up of detailed graphite drawings. I use hard pencils to ensure the lines are preserved the way I laid them. My intention is to raise the curiosity of the audience so they would keep on stepping closer and closer as to eventually breaking the line of privacy, and this closeness is symbolically revealing my own triumph over hardship with strength and peace.

In a mini-series in progress, I selected three stages of overcoming, starting with a feeling of being torn apart, followed by representing inner strength and in the final piece we see resilience, surviva. These stages take shape in the embodiment of confident female nude torsos, whose lower bodies melt into a surreal floating shape of lightness. The figures are placed in a painted environment of esoteric landscape reminiscent of the four main elements. 

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Exhibition Title: Expect Good,

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Exhibition Statement

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(Provide a formal description of your exhibition as you would describe the concept for promotional materials. is a formal description like you would see in marketing materials.)

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Zsófia Ötvös showcasing multimedia graphite drawings on paper. The theme is simple moments in life, of happiness, gratitude and relief. Layers upon layers of heavy strokes of paint creates a certain tension balanced by the calm of gentleness of the pencil drawings. In the mini-series of three drawings, she represents a universally relatable feeling of being overwhelmed and even, quite figuratively, being pulled apart. The realistic pencil drawings of abstracted female torsos are weightlessly floating over a surreal landscape but not without confrontation and strength. “I often feel being pulled a thousand ways, and this is just how life is; mostly out of my control but strongly affected by it. So, it takes my personal inner strength to pull together and moving stronger and in perfect peace.”

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Explain why you are seeking a solo exhibition at ARC and what this opportunity will mean to you

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The women-run ARC gallery provides a space that celebrates woman while remaining inclusive to all. In my work, I mostly resort to the female form to communicate themes of the universal human experience devoid of time, space, gender and social construct. 

The solo exhibition at ARC will potentially mark the milestone of my comeback into the Art Scene. I have withdrawn from active showing over a decade ago. During my sabbatical from the public eye, I felt I needed to direct my energy toward the work itself. I organized smaller in person viewings in found places, and I submitted to on-line platforms. 

A solo show at ARC gallery help to reach a wider audience, I particularly value developing the exhibition together. In 2024 I was lucky to organize a solo and a 2-person exhibition at CSI gallery space. The next step is to be part of the art-scene is submitting for juried and curated exhibitions opportunities. 

It is my goal to pursue further exhibition opportunities where an impressive CV with a list of recognizable exhibitions is demanded. I believe that a solo exhibition at ARC may be the springboard in moving forward in this process.