Work of Art in Focus – October 2023
"Always save some time for the surprises that are born inside of you."
Three glass paintings by Regular Member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts glass artist László Hefter have been selected as artworks for the month of October. These framed glass paintings present variations of simple shapes arranged in boxes in regular patterns. The artworks reflect the above-quoted ars poetica of their creator, thereby surprising the beholder. The presented colour and arrangement variations give the artworks some special playfulness and dynamism, but what really brings these artworks to life is their illumination from behind.
"Glass is the result of two extreme changes in state of matter. The hot molten material solidifies into a shape reminiscent of crystals. As it cools, glass reveals its beauty through glitter, optical play and reflections. The qualities of the above two states of matter – infused with colours and lights, enriched with thoughts and crafted by the hands of professionals – can yield a real heart and soul warming experience."
/glass artist László Hefter/
László Hefter was born in Budapest in 1943. In 1975 he graduated as a glass designer from the Hungarian College of Fine Arts majoring in silicate. Initially, he worked – through the Office for Fine and Applied Arts – on various commissions to produce artworks of fine and applied arts as well as other works of art for public buildings and public spaces. Since 1979 he has been a freelance artist. Most of his commissions involve the design and construction of architectural glass surfaces. In addition to these jobs, he has also been restoring stained glass windows since 1983.
In 1976 he moved to Győr. For 40 years, he was the director of the Győr (Hungary) based Miklós Borsos Fine and Applied Arts Circle (free school). In 1993 he founded a glass art programme in the Győr based Margit Kovács Applied Arts Secondary Technical School. In 2006, he founded a glass art gallery in Pannonhalma (Hungary).
László Hefter's artworks can be seen at the exhibition entitled From Generation to Generation in The Pesti Vigadó until 19th November.
