István Jakubik

I have always felt that little extra, that surplus of emotional intelligence, that sensitivity, the way I was interested in the world, in nature, in painting, in art. I acquired the basics of drawing while studying architecture at the technical school, and from there it was just a jump to fine art. I was very close to nature and its mysteries. In the early stages, my friend Tibor Bán was a decisive person, and he gave me a lot of instructions.

The first picture I took was of my father's favourite pigeon, and to my great joy and delight he recognised the animal's features.

When I was in the army in the early 90's, I had plenty of time to work on my art, as I spent days alone in the switchboard. I probably decided then that that was what I wanted to be. Solitude and creativity were good companions for me during my time there.

When I was a child, we lived in the last street of our small town, close to nature, where my twin brother and I and friends used to go on many hikes in the local woods and pine forests to the shores of nearby lakes. I kept every special picture of nature nearby in my mind. This lively environment gave me a lot of experience and I got a lot of practice in observing nature. My parents are very simple and great people, they put children first and did everything for us, for our happiness and well-being. We grew up with a lot of love. My mother's sister was Matild Kertész, my godmother, who ran an art studio in Kunszállás. She made room for her, and there I met many styles and schools. My painting was influenced for a long time by Tibor Bán, but I am still fascinated by the 19th century painters in Buda Castle, of whom Géza Mészöly is the closest to me, and I would consider him my master and my guide if he were alive. Tamás Mág is no longer with us, but his paintings have always stopped me for a moment.

Creation equals strength. When you are tired, when you are sick, when you are enervated, you cannot create, you cannot create something new and beautiful, but perhaps you cannot even dream. The way it works for me is that once I have the Theme, I let my imagination run wild and let it soar, and then I let it take shape in my own language and within my own framework. I think I play this out with all of my paintings and that's how I've developed my own style. I've been creating only in a crying silence lately, unable to listen to music or radio programmes. I just concentrate on the picture. And another important thing, I never paint under artificial light, if ever. I work standing up, in natural light, usually in the morning. However, by the end of the painting I am so exhausted that I just sit and relax. I get completely exhausted after a good picture. Of course, there are some pictures, not one, but many, that I will not part with under any circumstances. There's something about them that I think only I see, and I cling to them.

The amount of time I spend in the studio varies depending on the season and the state of the moment, and of course my motivation. If I overdo it, because I get carried away (I note that it is very good to create in this state), it is always followed by a recharge, which is not continuous, but at a lower vibration. I spend 2-4-6-8 hours a day in the studio. I love to travel, so new landscapes and new experiences refresh the whole process. In music I like all styles, I find what I need in them. My style is constantly changing, but that's okay, because I change as the years go by. I would love to see my work in a solo exhibition, for example at the Kossuth Street Gallery. My style has changed because of the use of materials and it is constantly being cleaned up. The greatest success for me is when a retired aunt calls me on the phone and thanks me gratefully for the opportunity to have access to my painting. There are very few of those. The feedback is much missed. THAT IS VERY BAD FOR ME! So you are just a machine.

If I'm being snobbish, the French ambassador shopped with me a few years ago. If not, my non-profit exhibition for school children in Roundhouse was the biggest success.

In my free time I do a lot of sports, I am an active table tennis player, but I also run and swim on a weekly basis.

My aim is to leave a legacy in painting, the hardest thing to do, because everything has been invented and done by predecessors, it's difficult to add something new, but you have to try. When I'm not painting, I plan to go deeper into architecture. I would love to design, houses, buildings, because you need a lot of creativity in that too. Now I have the time in this time of crisis. I choose my subjects on the basis of a momentary impression, and whatever I really feel like doing, I do it. I've never had a problem with that, because I prefer to immerse myself in it.

Perhaps I would like to send a message to the public that they should receive my pictures with the same love and passion, and find in them even greater joy than the heart and devotion with which I have created them.

Sincerely,

István Jakubik