Béla Apáti Abkarovics

Béla Apáti Abkarovics (1888, Érdmihályfalva - 1957, Szentendre) was a Hungarian painter and graphic artist. His art is based upon the Nagybánya traditions of the unity of man and nature. He was equally astute in incorporating both oil, watercolour and graphics into his art. His contribution in the field of graphic arts involves sketches and linocuts, but the number of his monotypes is also considerable.

Biography

He was a student of Károly Ferenczy at the Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest for four years. From 1891 he studied as a college student at the Free School of Nagybánya (Baia Mare, Romania) in István Réti's and János Thorma's restoration workshop. Between 1920 and 1924 as well as in 1927 he worked in the colony of artists of the same place.

After spending some years in Nagybánya he went for a study trip to Germany and Austria. Subsequently he worked in the Sub-Carpathian Region for several years and was a member of the Association of Sub-Carpathian Artists. In 1920 he had his first exhibition in the National Salon. He made an appearance at the Jubilee Exhibition in Nagybánya in 1924 and at the joint exhibition of the Nagybánya painters in 1927.

By the end of the 1930s he settled in Szentendre and here he mostly depicted the landscape of the town in his paintings. In 1945 he was chosen to be a member of the Szentendre colony of artists, and he participated in the joint exhibitions of that community. He also became a member of New Society of Artists (KUT) and 1955 he organised a prestigious exhibition in Szentendre.

He died in 1957.

In 1967 a commemorative exhibition was organised from his works in the Ferenczy Museum in Szentendre. Many of his works, including 'Woodworkers', have been purchased by the government in Budapest, but some of his works are on public display at the Hungarian National Gallery, in the Darnay Museum in Sümeg and in the Museum of Nagyvárad in Oradea, Romania).