József Csató

The Hungarian painter Jósef Csató breaks from the traditions of narrative painting and the contemporary trends in figurative art through his appropriation of a very particular mode of representation. His paintings are characterized by the use of symbolism tending towards the universal, due to his use of a knowing mix of the vernacular and the exotic. Within this syncretism of inspirations, the spectator wanders through a landscape of figurative and abstract elements, discovering purely personal stories.

The artist draws his inspiration from motifs borrowed from nature, which he combines with dreamlike figures and other fantastic creatures. These mythological forms are supplemented by geometrical shapes and purely fictitious symbols. The figures stand out from generally monotone backgrounds without perspective, and the faded tones and networks of cross-hatching or marbling that fill out the forms, lend this visual vocabulary a semi-abstract quality.

Jósef Csató (b. 1980) lives and works in Budapest. He graduated from the Hungarian University for Fine Art and has received several prestigious grants in his native Hungary. In 2017 he enjoyed an artistic residency at the Krinzinger Gallery in Austria and his work has been exhibited in numerous individual and collective shows throughout Europe. Recently, his painting was shown at the Galleri Urbane in Dallas. His work features in a large number of Hungarian and international, public and private collections.