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Beata Szechy
P.O.Box 141374, DALLAS, TX 75214-1374
Ph. & Fax: 972-225-8053

1124 Budapest, Tamasi Aron 34., Hungary -- 351-375-3850

ARTIST STATEMENT

The only valid thing in art is the one thing that cannot be explained. To explain away the mystery of a great painting would do irreplaceable harm, for whenever you explain or define something you substitute the explanation or definition for the image of the thing. (Henry Matisse)

So here I am, trying to define my art. There is so much to be said about seeing, about how we have learned to perceive, about our experience of the world. Art can certainly have multiple messages and meanings. My art became a form of visual documents of my experiences, moral standards and traditions.

No matter where I moved, from what city to the next, certain aspects of the environment remained the same: the sky, the sun, and the leaves that fall from trees.

My first installation entitled as "I Ching" (Book of Changes) that I exhibited at KALA Institute in Berkeley, California (1992) consists of combinations of trigrams symbolizing the eight fundamental elements. The eight trigrams were combined by printing methods (monoprint) until there were sixty four hexagrams. I Ching means The
Book of Changes.

The second installation entitled as "Outside-Inside" that I exhibited in Budapest, at the Dorottya Gallery, Hungary (1994) and Bucharest, Romania (1995) incorporated book objects and personal letters from my daughter and parents.

The third installation entitled as "Borderless Garden" exhibited at the 5501 Columbia Art Center in Dallas, in 1996. In this installation I tried to show my 10 years lived in the United States. The "Borderless Garden" was a multi-sensory environment. A central, rectangular garden
of leaves is surrounded by ten smaller garden-beds and between the gardens I put ten book objects on stepping stones.

The installation entitled as "The Last Supper" exhibited at Craighead-Green Gallery in Dallas (1997). This exhibition is a social commentary on the global dilemmas of romance, love and dating in the 1990s. This exhibition is an example of modern society's struggles to
find love in an age of the internet, voice mail, fast cars, "show me the money" and the erosion of traditional courtship.

My last installation that I exhibited at the Contemporary Art Center of Fort Worth (1998-99) entitled "Floppy Flowers" . It is based on my own experience traveling in the '90th back and forth between the continents of Europe and North America. I used floppy disks, over-printed with silk screen flowers, combined with natural sounds of wind, water, birds, and frogs.

Currently I am working on a new series of silk-screen prints with sewing, entitled "Custom Textile".

RESUME:

BORN
1950 Budapest, Hungary

EDUCATION
1999 MLA, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX
1980 MFA, Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest, Hungary

SCHOLARSHIPS and GRANTS
1998 Hungarian National Foundation, H
1997 Soros Foundation, NY
1995 Hungarian National Foundation, H
1990-93 Ann Flanagan Fellowship, Berkeley, CA
1986 Hungarian Ministry of Culture, Academy of Hungary, Rome, Italy
          Artists' meeting, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Turkmenistan
1985 Artists' meeting, Szczecin, Poland

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
2000 - Adjunct Instructor, Tarrant County College, Arlington, TX
1999 - Certified in Conflict Resolution, Nonviolent Crisis
Intervention, Domestic Relations in ADR, Mediation, Commercial and Employment Dispute Resolution and Human Resource Management
1998 - Art Therapist, Dallas, TX
1996 - Art Teacher, DISD, Columbia Art Center, Dallas, TX
1994-00 Guest Curator, 5501 Columbia Art Center, Dallas, TX
1994 - President of the Hungarian Multicultural Center, Inc., Dallas, TX
1993 Guest Curator, Center of the Visual Arts, Oakland, CA
1992 Curator at The Fire Art Project, Berkeley, CA
1990 Founding Member of Hungarian Multicultural Center, Inc., Berkeley, CA
1990-93 Workshop Instructor & Curator of Kala Institute, Berkeley, CA
1982-86 Vice President of Hungarian Youth Studio,Budapest,H

ONE PERSON SHOWS
2002 Craighead-Green Gallery, Dallas, TX
2001 "Floppy-Flowers", Museum of Contemporary Art/LudwigMuseum, Budapest, H
1999 "Floppy-Flowers", Contemporary Art Center (with Ken Little), Fort Worth, TX
1998 "The Last Supper", Budapest Gallery, Budapest, H
1997 "The Last Supper", Craighead-Green Gallery, Dallas, TX
1996 Book exhibition, Hungarian Cultural Institute, Bucharest, Romania Floating Gallery, Budapest, H
"Borderless Garden", Installation and Performance, 5501 Columbia Art Center, Dallas, TX
1995 Artist Talk, DARE at the MAC, Dallas, TX
1994  Outside-Inside -  Dorottya Gallery, Budapest, H
1992 "Tangram", Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA
1991 Courtyard Gallery, Alameda, CA
1990 Gallery Reiffenstein, Vienna, Austria
Barnes & Conti Associates, Berkeley, CA
1989 "Food", Artspots Exhibit, Concord, CA
1988 Ariel Gallery, Albany, CA
1987 "Budapest-Rome-San Francisco", San Francisco, CA
1986 "Family", The French Institute, Budapest, H
"Rome", City Museum, Balassagyarmat, H
1985 "Memories", Boglar-Lelle, Kek-Kapolna, H
1984 City Library, Mako, H Ciffra Palace, Kecskemet, H
1983 Obuda Gallery, Budapest, H Youth Center, Szeged, H
1982 Studio Gallery, Budapest, H

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2003 X. International Book Fest, Kongresszusi Kozpont, Budapest

2002 "Time of the Paper", II. Paper Triannual, Kaposvar, Hungary 
"Works on Paper", Craighead-Green Gallery, Dallas, TX (4 artists show) 
"Fifteen", Tarrant County College SE., Faculty exhibition, Arlington, TX 
"Home Sweet Home", Arlington Museum of Art, Art Auction, Arlington, TX EASLE, Auction, Dallas, TX

2001 "Women's Art in Hungary 1960-2000, Ernst Museum, Budapest 
"W", MAC Members' Invitational, MAC, Dallas, TX
 "Knack", Tarrant County College SE., Faculty exhibition, Arlington, TX "Skyskysky", Arlington Museum of Art, Art Auction, Arlington, TX "Book-Art", Rippl - Ronai Museum, Kaposvar, H (curator: Dr. Melinda Geger)

2001 Works on Paper, Craighead-Green Gallery, Dallas, TX
"Knack", Tarrant County College SE Faculty exhibition, Arlington, TX
"Skyskysky", Arlington Museum of Art, Art Auction, Arlington, TX

2000 "The second race", Women Artists, Ernst Museum, Budapest, H
"Hello Walls": Spiritual Relationship, Tarrant County College, Arlington, TX
"Blue Skies: The Skies the Limit", Arlington Museum of Art, Arlington, TX
"Black & Blue", MAC, Dallas, TX
Women Artists, Hungarian Embassy, Washington DC
Women Artists, Ernst Museum, Budapest, H
EXPO 2000, 500X Gallery, Dallas, TX
"Pink Poppy Watercolor", DeSoto, TX
"Postcards From All Over", IAA Center for the Arts, Irving, TX

1999 Off the Page, Fifth annual membership exhibition. MAC, Dallas, TX Horse show, with Beata Veszely, Tatersar, Budapest, H
"Past-Present-Future", Contemporary Art Museum, Szekesfehervar, H

1998 "Image & Text", SFA Gallery, Stephen F. Austin University, TX
EXPO'98, 500X Gallery, Dallas, TX
Erdesz Gallery, Szentendre, H
Cultural Center, District 12, Budapest, H XII. District Fine Art Exhibition, MOM, Budapest

1997 The Book as Art", Oklahoma City, City Arts Center," OK
52nd Annual Competition, Museum of Abilene, Abilene, TX
Livres-Objects' Biannual, Paris, France
"The Fourth Dimension", The MAC, Dallas, TX
"The Book as Art", Branningan Cultural Center, Las Cruces, NM
1st Biennale Internationale Des Livres-Objects, Xantu Janos Museum, Gyor,  H
"Hungarian Salon '97", Mucsarnok, Budapest, H
"Memoir of Peter Gemes, Water-line", Dovin Gallery,Budapest, H
"Time of the Book", Pecsi Gallery, Pecs, H

1996 "Paper Words, Artist' Books", Florida Craftsmen Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
"Good-By", Honor to Marcel Duchamp, Budapest Gallery, Budapest, H
"The Book Reconfigurated", Texas A&M, TX
"The Book Reconfigurated", Corpus Christi State University, Corpus Christi, TX
"The Book Reconfigurated", Texas Women's University, Denton , TX
Women and Their Work Gallery, Austin, TX
Works on Paper, Craighead-Green Gallery, Dallas, TX
International Book Art Exhibition, Vigado Gallery, Budapest, H
"Libretto", Book Art in the Budapest Opera Gallery, H
Fine Art Museum, Book Art, Budapest, H
XVIII. Graphics Biennial, Miskolc, H
Book Art, Prague, Czech Republic

1995 "Livres A Mediter" Gallery Pont-Neuf, Paris, France
"The Book Reconfigurated", The Center for Women & Their Work, Inc., Austin, TX
Fine Art Museum, Budapest, H
Expo95, 500X Gallery, Dallas, TX
Craighead-Green Gallery, Dallas, TX
Erdesz Gallery, Szentendre, H
"Circle, Fire, Space" Csontvary Gallery, Budapest, H
Miskolci Gallery, Miskolc, H
Academy of Fine Arts, Barcsay Gallery, Budapest, H
"Book and Music", Museum of Music History, Budapest, H

1994 Craighead-Green Gallery, Dallas, TX
RTexas?4, Dallas, TX
Szegedi Keptar, Szeged, H
Small graphics - Ujpesti Gallery, Budapest, H
Changed Dimensions? Csok Istvan Gallery, Budapest, H
Mak Art Group Exhibition, Pecs, H

1993 "Borderless" -  Kala Institute, Berkeley, CA
Slovenian Mini Print Biennial, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Manhattan Graphics Center, New York, NY
International Print Biennial, Maastricht, Netherlands
1st. Egyptian International Print Triennial, Egypt
Graphics Biennial, Miskolc, H
Exhibit of Mako Art Studio, H
Italy - The Italian Culture Institute, Budapest, H
LA Thompson Gallery, Dallas, TX
City Hall, San Francisco, CA
Giorgi Gallery, Berkeley, CA
Center of the Visual Arts, Oakland, CA

1992 "One Square Foot", Gensler & Associates,Inc., Santa Monica, CA
Pyramid Atlantic, Riverdale, MD.
Kala Institute Gallery, Berkeley, CA
The Foreigner - BeautiFUL, Budapest, H
The Fire Art Project, Oakland-Berkeley, CA
Prints Plus? Palo Alto, CA
Open Studio, Berkeley, CA
Giorgi Gallery, Berkeley, CA

1991 Kala Fellowship Exhibition, Berkeley, CA
Bayfront Gallery, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA
"The Artist Book", Artisans, Mill Valley, CA
Gallery Reiffeinstein, Vienna, Austria
"California Works", Sacramento, CA
New World Order? Bison Gallery, Berkeley, CA
"Printmaker? Show", Village Theatre Gallery, Danville, CA
"Wild Show" Napa Art Center, Napa, CA
Courtyard Gallery, Alameda, CA
"Kala Group Show", Berkeley Store Gallery, Berkeley, CA
Giorgi Gallery, Berkeley, CA

1990 Courtyard Gallery, Alameda, CA
"Pen and Ink", Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, CA
71th National Exhibition, G.W.V. S. Museum, Springfield, MA
Juried CAA National Members Exhibition, Chautauqua, NY
Peacemaking in Action, R. S. College Art Gallery, Santa Ana, CA
Open Studio, ProArts, Oakland, CA
45rd Annual Marin County Exhibition, San Rafael, CA

1989 Triangle Gallery, San Francisco, CA
California Works 1989, California Museum of Art, Santa Rosa, CA
"San Francisco 100!", Alligator Gallery, San Francisco, CA
"Matrix89" Matrix Gallery, Sacramento, CA
"Jazz/Art/Kimball" East, Emeryville, CA
"Line and Form", Hatley Martin Gallery, San Francisco, CA
3rd National Exhibition, Clary-Miner Gallery, Buffalo, NY
70th National Exhibition, G.W. V. S. Museum, Springfield, MA
BACA, Berkeley, CA
California Works 1989, Sacramento, CA

1988 International Mini Print Exhibition, Johnson City, NY
"Paperworks" Oakland, CA
"Last Picture Show", Walnut Creek, CA
43rd Annual Marin County Exhibition, San Rafael, CA
Annual International Competition, Philadelphia, PA

1987 Breckenridge Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Natsoulas Novalozo Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Natsoulas Novalozo Gallery, Davis, CA
Art Expo, Los Angeles, CA

1986 Ninth British International Print Biennial, UK
International Impact Art Festival, Kyoto, Japan
National Fine Art Museum, Budapest, H
Young Artist Studio, Budapest, H
International Experimental Art, Budapest, H

1985 Contemporary Hungarian Artists? Gallery Route One, Point Reyes, CA
Memorial Union Gallery, Davis, CA
Szczecin Museum, Poland
Graphic Biennial, Miskolc, H
International Experimental Art, Petofi Csarnok, Budapest, H
National Gallery, Budapest, H
Art Studio, Sopron, H
Bartok 32. Gallery, Budapest, H

1984 Graphic Biennial, Oslo, Norway
Intergraphic?4, Berlin, Germany
"The Achievements of Art Symposia", Mucsarnok, Budapest, H
Bulgarian International Painting Biennial, Bulgaria
16th International Graphic Biennial, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Museum of Military History, Budapest, H
Graphic Studio of Mako, Mako, H
Studio 84, BNV, Budapest, H
International Mail Art, Budapest, H
Hotel Gellert, Budapest, H
Sport Competition, Budapest, H
7th National Exhibition, Debrecen, H

1983 Small Sculpture Biennial, Pecs, H
Graphic Biennial, Miskolc, H
Studio 83, Ernst Museum, Budapest, H
Graphic Studio of Mako, Mako, H
Contemporary Graphic and Drawing?National Gallery, Budapest, H

1982 Graphic Biennial, Miskolc, H
1st Drawing Biennial, Salgotarjan, H
15th International Graphic Biennial, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Vajda Lajos Studio, Szentendre, H
Studio 82, Mucsarnok, Budapest, H
FMK, Budapest, H

1981 Studio 81, Budapest, H
"Beginning of the Road" Bartok 32. Gallery, Budapest, H

AWARDS
1993 Prix d?chat, Slovenija Mini Print Biennial, Slovenija
1991 Award of Merit, California Works, Sacramento, CA
1990 Third Prize, Peacemaking in Action, Santa Ana, CA
Merit Award, 71th National Exhibition, Springfield, MA
Certificate of Achievement, Mendocino Art Center, CA
1989 Art Award, 70th National Exhibition, Springfield, MA
Award of Merit, California Works, Sacramento, CA
Honor Award, San Rafael, CA
1988 Merit Award, San Rafael, CA
1986 Studio Award, Budapest, H
1985 First Prize, International Young Artist Congress, Budapest, H
1983 Studio Award, Budapest, H
1982 First Prize, Annual Studio Exhibit, Budapest, H
First Prize, Metamorphosis Competition, H

COLLECTIONS
Ludwig Museum, Budapest, H
Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest, H
Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA
Contemporay Arts, Dallas, TX
Documentary Arts, Dallas, TX
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, H
International Impact Art Festival, Kyoto, Japan
Istvan Kiraly Museum, Szekesfehervar, H
Minisry of Culture, Budapest, H
Slovenia Graphic Biennial, Slovenia
Ljubljana Graphic Biennial, Slovenia
British Graphic Biennial, UK
Egyptian Graphic Museum, Kairo, Egypt
Miskolc Graphic Biennial, H
Young Artist Studio, Budapest, H
Museum of Modern Art, Pecs, H
Museum of Szczecin, Poland
American Red Cross, San Francisco, CA
Dr. Georg Kahlig, Vienna, Austria
Jeff & Dara Tillotson, Dallas, TX
Kitty Doolin, Dallas, TX
Ned Patrick, 4000 Shady Valley Ct. Arlington, TX 76017
In private collections in the USA, Hungary, France, Switzerland,
Austria, Germany and
England

COMMISSIONS
1992 Memorial Plaque, St. Mary? College, CA
1991 Foot Wear First, Berkeley, CA
1990 Mural 16'X 8'and 6'X 8' Victoria Chang, Walnut Creek, CA

REVIEWS

2002 "Fifteen", The Collegian (January 30, Brian Shults) 

"Works on Paper", Dallas Morning News (GUIDELIVE.COM 3/3/2002, Mike Daniel) 
"Easl", Observer (March 9 Tom Sime) Contemporary Hungarian Art Dictionary 

2001 "Es mi van a floppyn?", Elet es Irodalom (August 10, Sinko Istvan) "Women's Art in Hungary 1960-2000 (Katalin Keseru) 

"Mi va a floppyn?", Uj Muveszet (November, Hermik Laszlo) 

"A szepseg dicserete", Bonton, (September) 

"Flopi Flora a termeszet jegyeben", Magyar Nemzet (julius 25, G. Zs.) "Floppy Flowers", Magyar Hirlap (julius 25, G. Zs.) 

"Floppy Flora", Nepszava (julius 26) 

"Floppy Flowers", Budapester Zeitung (August 6.) 

"Blue Skies", Star-Telegram, (January 17, Kathy A. Goolsby) 

"Skyskysky", Arlington Museum of Art  --  catalogue 

"Blue Skies", Arlington Morning News (January 19)

2001 "Blue Skies", Star-Telegram, (January 17, Kathy A. Goolsby)
"Blue Skies", Arlington Morning News (January 19)
2000 "Hello Walls", Arlington Morning News, (by Paul Knudsen)
1999 "Floppy Flowers", Fort Worth Star Telegram, (February 14, Suzanne
Akhtar)
"Floppy Flowers", Fort Worth Star Telegram, (November 13, Janet Tyson)
"Past-present-future", Muveszet, (July, Judit Szeifert)
1998 "Advertising and the twelve apostles" (Kepes Europa, 1998 July 8.)
MTV2 (July 11, Fitz Peter)
"Artists' celebration on the hill", Hegyvidk ( July 1, Scheken Plma)
1997 "The Last Supper", Observer (May 1, Jimmy Fowler)
"The Last Supper", KRLD 1080AM Radio (May 2, Peter Arnell)
"The Last Supper", The Turtle Creek News (April 27)
"The Last Supper", The Met, (May 14, Emily Hughes)
"The Last Supper", Fort Worth Star Telegram, (May 11, Suzanne Akhtar)
"Biography of Who is Who", (Peter Hermann)
1996 "Don't judge these books by their covers", Times (April 25, Mary
Ann Marger)
"Borderless Garden", The Word (January, Irwin Arnsein)
"Lost Art", Observer (June 13, Matt Weitz)
"Borderless Garden" The Met (January 24, Marina Isola)
Dallas Morning News, (February 3, Ellen Sweets)
"Adventures in the Borderless Garden" Magyar Nemzet , (January,
P.Szabo Erno)
Reviews on the exhibition at the Vigado Gallery, Budapest, H
1995 Konyvek altal...vissza, UjMveszet, (Sinko Istvan, April)
"Meditations' in the Book" Magyar Nemzet (December 20, P. Szabo Erno)
Pentektol-Pentekig, Petofi Radio ( August 28.)
"Konnyes Konyvek", Beszelo (Hajdu Istvan, December 1)
"Reading into art", Austin American Statement, (September 21,
Madeline Irvine)
"A Day in the Neighborhood", The Austin Chronicle, ( September
22, Rebecca Levy)
1994 Reggeli Csucs, Petofi Radio ( December 19., Lesli Monika)
Pentektol-Pentekig, Petofi Radio ( November 18.)
?rying Books? Beszelo, Cultural Magazine ( December 1., Hajdu
Istvan)
?culpted Books- Book Sculptures? Ujmagyarorszag ( December 10.,
A. Banovich)
?. Szechy Exhibition? Magyar Narancs ( December 8., Horanyi)
?ombrass in the Library? Dorottya Gallery ( November 17.,
Andrasi Gabor)
Pestmegyei Hirlap ( November 19)
Bukaresti Magyar Szo ( January 18., Szabo Emoke)
Hungarian Culture Institute ( January 17., Vida Gyrgy)
1991 "Raging Brew", Daily California (III. 22. Vini Beachem), CA
1988 "Bears Messages", The Philadelphia Inquirer (XII.3., Victoria
Donohe), PA
The Voice ( I. 21. ), CA
1987 "Hungarian artist visit U.S. "Contra Costa Times (VIII.16. ,Carol
Fowler), CA
"Exotic and Unusual", The California Aggie (Roberta Flodea), CA
1986 "Tiberis-szalak", Magyar Nemzet (VI. 18. ,Ban Andras)
1985 "A view to current Hungarian Art", California Aggie(XI.20. ,Derek
Ryor ),CA
"New work from Hungary", Artweek (VIII. 24., Rebecca Solnit), CA
"From Budapest with expression", Sacramento Bee (Victoria
Dalkey), CA
"Sinne Ira...", Magyar Nemzet ( Ban Andras )
Magyar Nemzet ( IX. 12., Gyetvai Agnes )
"Makoi muvesztelep '83-'84", Ujtkor ( III.10., Boldizsar Erzsebet )
Glos Szczecinski Magazine ( VIII. 10., Danuta Kret ), Lengyelorszag
"Fenykepek es plasztikus kepek", Magyar Ifjusag ( VI. 14.,
P.Szabo Erno), Mozgo Vilag
Pacific Sun ( VIII. 9. ), CA
"Art notes", Point Reyes Light ( VIII. 1., Joanne Dickson ), CA
"Historic break through brings Hungarian Art here"
P.R.L.(VIII.18.,Jane Thrall ),CA
1984 Muveszet
Csongrad Megyei Hirlap ( VII. 19., Hajdu Istvan )
"Meccs kozben", Nepszabadsag ( XI. 17., P.Szucs Julianna )
"Sz. B. kiallitasa a Kecskemeti galeriaban", ( Simon Magdolna )
"Grafikai Muhely-sorozat", Petofi Nepe ( IX. 7., Andrasi Gabor )
1983 "Panoptikum", Elet es Irodalom ( XI., Vadas Jozsef )
Muveszet
"Kis es nagy szobrok", Magyar Nemzet ( VIII.11., Ban Andras )
"Lattuk hallottuk", Magyar Radio, Budapest
Del-Magyarorszag
1982 "XI. Grafikai Biennale Miskolcon", Magyar Nemze(I.10., Megay Laszlo )
"Studio '82", Magyar Nemzet ( XI.14., Ember Maria ) "Kollazs-ketszer", Magyar Nemzet (VIII 25.,BanAndras)
"Egy palyazat tanulsagai", Magyar Ifjusag (VII.30.Kremer
"Kivul-belul semmi", Esti Hirlap ( XI. 16., Harangozo Marta )