Founded in 2019, the Budapest Illustration Festival is a nationwide open call and exhibition held every two years in a biennial format, accompanied by festival-style professional programs and smaller exhibitions. The festival is organized by Graphifest, an independent graphic design association, represented by illustrator and graphic designer László Herbszt, lecturer at MOME, and art historian Emese Révész, head of department at ELTE.

The aim of the event is to provide, every two years, an opportunity for the most outstanding representatives of Hungarian illustration to present their work, making it visible to domestic publishers, the public, fellow creators, and the wider international scene. In this field, the festival is unique in Hungary. We live in an image-driven era, communicating simultaneously through texts and images. Illustration is present both on digital platforms (UI–UX design, infographics, advertising) and in printed media (magazines, books, posters). It is part of our everyday lives and of marketing communication, while also being an artistic tool capable of expressing complex ideas.

Our open call attracts growing and remarkable interest year after year. Applicants essentially represent the full spectrum of today’s active Hungarian illustration scene, from emerging talents to established, practicing artists.