Tuesday, 21 May 2019

Blacktown City Council; - Media Release - Blood, Sweat & Tears



21 May 2019

Acclaimed artist and Blacktown resident of over 30 years,

Vitéz Dr. Alex Sándor Kolozsy, will be exhibiting 50 of his 

sculptors and oil paintings at the Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts 

Centre.


The exhibition features bronze artworks of many well-known 

Australian figures, including the late artist Tom Bass, and 

musician Johnny O’Keefe, and famous places such as the 

Kokoda Track.


Mayor Stephen Bali said the exhibition was an opportunity to 

see a world renowned artist located in Blacktown. 



“We are delighted to be showcasing the artworks of an 

important migrant artist who has made Blacktown his home 

for the last three decades.”


The artist’s inspiration has come from the classical 

European tradition of sculpture.


“I think Rodin is one of my favourites,” Kolozsy said.


“I do not copy, but over the years I have developed my own 

impressionistic figurative style.”


“My sculptures are not smooth. I have a certain texture on 

the surfaces, and I refine the highlights, and I aim to reflect 

the spirit and soul of the person in their portrait, which is the 

most important aspect of my work.”


Kolozsy arrived in Australia in 1958 on the Dutch 

ship, Johan Van Oldevarneveld, with 3,000 Dutch and 7 

Hungarian migrants. Two years earlier he was a young 

freedom-fighter in Budapest repelling the invasion of his 

country by Soviet Russia, taking over a tank in front of the 

Parliament building and hoisting the Hungarian national flag, 

despite being wounded. This same flag is part of the artist’s 

personal memorabilia to be featured in the exhibition 

alongside his sculptures, drawings and paintings.


Kolozsy - has many permanent public sculptures across 

Australia, including a memorial to the pioneering women of 

Australia located at Jessie Street Square in Sydney.


Kolozsy – the sculptor was awarded an International Gold 

Medal in 1981 by the Arpad Academy in Cleveland, Ohio, 

and in 1991 he was awarded a Cultural Doctorate in Visual 

Arts from Benson, Arizona. His work is held in the Royal Art 

Collection, London, the Presidential Collection, Washington, 

National Portrait Gallery, Canberra and the Australian 

Parliament Art Collection.


Last year he was knighted as Vitéz by the Hungarian 

Parliament. He is currently Sculptor-in-Residence with the 

Blacktown Showground Society

Exhibition dates:

23 May – 27 June 2019

The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre is open Tuesday to 

Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission to the exhibition is 

free.

ABOUT BLACKTOWN ARTS

Blacktown Arts is a recognised leader in the development of 

contemporary arts in Australia. We support artistic 

innovation and offer exciting, new experiences for audiences 

through an award-winning curated program of exhibitions, 

performances, workshops, residencies and events. We are 

committed to making dynamic, culturally diverse work that 

reflects Blacktown, its history and its communities. We place 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and communities 

at the heart of our program to develop new work drawing on 

issues of local and global significance. This is how we make 

art.


Description: Description: I:\CSShare\ARTS AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT\EXHIBITIONS 2019\Alex Kolozsy - F19-297\Artwork images\Large JPEGs\190410_Kolozsy_002.jpg      Description: Description: I:\CSShare\ARTS AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT\EXHIBITIONS 2019\Alex Kolozsy - F19-297\Artwork images\Large JPEGs\190410_Kolozsy_013.jpg
Kolozsy - Sculptor, Two Vases 1995 (left), Kolozsy – 

Sculptor, Zsuzsa 1989 (right)
Photo: Jennifer Leahy

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