Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, the Society of Hungarian Painters marks the occasion with a representative exhibition showcasing one work each by 208 artists. Over the past three decades, more than 300 painters have joined the original founders.

For this jubilee, the Society presents a diverse exhibition in the 6th-floor galleries of the Vigadó, displaying the coexistence of different styles and approaches. Without restrictions of genre, the works reflect the distinctive artistic character of each exhibitor. The exhibition nearly encompasses the entire spectrum of contemporary Hungarian painting.

Among the participants are well-known and acclaimed artists whose work has been honored with awards and recognition. Bearing the title Retrospective, the exhibition features both earlier pieces—including works created around the time of the Society’s foundation—and the most recent paintings, completed only a few months ago. This is a fitting commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Hungary’s largest association of contemporary painters.

The Society of Hungarian Painters was founded in the summer of 1995 by 33 painters. With its current membership of 329, the Society is the largest nationwide professional organization of Hungarian painters.

The founding president of the Society was painter and writer Gábor Karátson, followed by painter and art writer Albert Kováts, who led the organization for 25 years. The current president of the Society is painter István Sinkó, with painters Ákos Révész and István Vankó serving as vice presidents.

As a member of the Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Arts Societies, the Society of Hungarian Painters is dedicated to supporting the professional community of Hungarian painters. It primarily fulfills this mission through the organization of exhibitions—both thematic and professionally curated group shows, as well as by supporting solo exhibitions. In doing so, the Society also aims to broaden the visibility of contemporary Hungarian art and to promote modern and contemporary fine art, not only through exhibitions but also by publishing catalogues and other materials.

The Society does not favor any single artistic trend or style; on the contrary, it considers the cultivation of the diversity of Hungarian painting and the support of individual artistic aspirations to be of primary importance. The Society continuously documents its activities on its website, where the full list of past exhibitions and digital, browsable versions of all published catalogues are available.

István Sinkó: Volcano / 2025, acrylic on canvas / 2 × 100 × 70 cm