Martin Varo

Emerging Figure I: Hand carved Carrara Marble Sculpture, Post-Modern

Born March 15, 1943 in Szekelyudvarhely, Transylvania, Hungary (now Romania), Marton Varo studied sculpture at Ion Andreescu Institute of Arts in Cluj, Romania from 1960 to 1966. In 1970, he moved to Debrecen, Hungary, where he completed several sculptures for public places and was awarded the Munkacsy Prize in 1984. Receiving a Fulbright scholarship in 1988, Varo became affiliated with the University of California, Irvine, studying the relationship between architecture and sculpture. In 1990, he became the Artist in Residence for a public art project in the City of Brea, California. Varo lives and works in the USA, in California and Florida, spending summers working in Carrara, Italy. ART CRITICISM These echoes and cross-references make Varo a typically post-modern artist. Post-Modernism has been defined as the propensity to recombine elements from existing artistic languages in new ways, rather than striving to invent languages which are completely new. What he lacks, fortunately, is the cynicism which informs so much Post-Modernist art. All his work shows his eye for finely calculated formal relationships. But always, even in the works which are apparently entirely non-figurative, there is a feeling for flesh — in particular for the ripeness of the female body. The fact that Varo prefers to depict this draped rather than nude is perhaps a symbol of his reverence for the mysteries this image contains. – Edward Lucie-Smith SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2008 Galerie du Soleil, Naples, Florida 1994 New York, Consulate of Republic of Hungary 1987 Cultural Center, Lage, Germany 1986 Behr Mobelhaus, Stuttgart, Germany 1986 Satoraljaujhely, Hungary 1986 City Hall, Gerlingen, Germany 1986 Exhibition Hall, Herrenberg, Germany 1985 Keszthely, Hungary 1985 Dunaujvaros, Hungary 1984 Vigado Gallery, Budapest, Hungary 1981 Mucsarnok, Exhibition Hall, Budapest, Hungary 1978 Mora Ferenc Museum, Szeged, Hungary 1977 Studio Gallery, Budapest, Hungary 1976 Nyiregyhaza, Hungary 1975 Studio Gallery, Budapest, Hungary 1970 Mamaia, Romania 1969 Oradea, Romania SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS “Annunciation”, Ave Maria, Florida Garden of Hope and Courage, Naples, Florida Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville, Tennessee TCU, Fort Worth, Texas Kyongnam Province Parlament, Korea NTNU Institute of Technology, Trondheim, Norway Nancy Lee & Perry R. Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth, Texas Tustin Ranch Marketplace, Tustin, California Art Institute of Southern California, Laguna Beach, California Pereira Sculpture Garden, UCI, Irvine, California Plaza of the Americas, Dallas, Texas Peace Memorial, Palm Desert, California Breaking Free, City Hall, Brea, California Anavros Sculpture, City of Volos, Greece Central Finland Museum of Art, Jyvaskyla, Finland Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Holland Collection of the Ministry of Culture, Budapest, Hungary National Gallery, Budapest, Hungary Mora Ferenc Museum, Szeged, Hungary Deri Museum, Debrecen, Hungary Government Administration Building, Debrecen, Hungary Kalvin Plaza, Debrecen, Hungary Berettyoujfalu City Hall, Hungary Congress Convention Center, Budapest, Hungary City of Burgas, Bulgaria City of Debrecen, Hungary Debrecen Clock Tower, Hungary Szombathely City Hall, Hungary Debrecen New Post Office, Hungary Mateszalka Textile Factory, (BFK) Berettyoujfalu Elzett Works, Hungary City Sculpture Garden, Prilep, Macedonia, Yugoslavia Dr. Petru, Groza City, Romania Muzeul Tarii Crisurilor, Oradea, Romania