Our exhibition presents not only the major works from the final creative period of Sándor Makoldi, but also the Hungarian folk art objects from his own collection that inspired these paintings—representing the imprint of the past and folk roots. As a sign of continuity, the exhibition also includes small-scale sculptures and textile paintings by his two children—sculptor Sándor Gyula Makoldi and painter-restorer Gizella Makoldi—created in a similar spirit, symbolizing the future.

Sándor Makoldi firmly believed that a distinctively Hungarian painting and visual culture could emerge in Hungary, rooted in and continuing our traditional folk-national culture—just as this revival has already taken place in the recognized music of Bartók and Kodály, or in the resurgence of folk music and dance.

Makoldi’s contemporary painting was inspired by the "abstract" conceptual symbols of folk art, which he also identified in the ethnographic objects he collected and analyzed. Beyond the psychology of creation, he was captivated by the understanding of organizing a worldview, and he continued to express these ideas in his paintings—taking full advantage of the technical achievements of “high art.”

The exhibition is supported by the Hungarian Academy of Arts.