Retrospective Exhibition of Teréz Schmidt and András Galánfi
A retrospective exhibition entitled Skies Photographed onto Each Other opened at Vigadó, the centre of HAA presenting the lifework of Teréz Schmidt, a textile artist, recipient of the Tree of Life Award, weaving instructor, carpet weaver and loom operator, master of folk art as well as that of András Galánfi, Kossuth State Award winning woodcarver industrial artist, master of folk art, performing artist, sculptor, regular member of HAA and honorary citizen of Hajdúszoboszló.
At the opening ceremony on 3 July the welcome speech was delivered by Gábor Richly, Secretary-General of HAA. The exhibition was opened by Mihály Vetró, folk artist, teacher, and regular member of HAA. A musical performance was given by Mária Petrás, Kossuth State Award and Prima Primissima Award winning artist and regular member of HAA along with her daughter Alina Petrás and granddaughter Boróka Rita Lantos. The event was hosted by László Kékedi, folk applied artist and head of the Folk Arts Section of HAA.
András Galánfi said about the exhibition: "The framework is basically provided by the sculptures, which follow each other like stations. At the very center a chrome steel statue shines, the Archangel Gabriel holds the woman dressed in light, who gives birth to the son of Light on the next carved panel: the whole of life with light, blood and its own sacrifice, condensed into a single image. The central figure of the Emmaus Inn is the resurrected Christ, who encourages his disciples not to look at the crucified one, but at the resurrected one. I found the carved motif of the frame on a monastic cross, which has no beginning and no end, thus symbolizing the continuity of life. The next small sculpture, The Birth of the Holy Spirit testifies that the soul is here among us. A soul bird also appears on the other side of the exhibition: according to my belief we bury the body in the cemetery, the soul continues its journey. The dovecote erected above the Székely gates also refers to this, which represents the spirit of the ancestors. The next station symbolizes motherhood, on this line two lanterns are lit on both sides – I was inspired by the 18th-century paper lantern of the Déri Museum in Debrecen – on one I carved the Holy Family, the Three Kings approaching the newborn and the shepherds, on the other the churches of the Christian denominations and the inscription "Long live the homeland!". Then comes the "kissing cross" used in the Greek Catholic and Orthodox churches, and with the Tree of Life of the Roosters the Reformed symbol also appears, as the rooster is a symbol of vigilance. Starting from within, from the depths of the soul – and also from the interior of the exhibition space – I show my attachments to the Christian faith, homeland and family."
András Galánfi said about the exhibition: "The framework is basically provided by the sculptures, which follow each other like stations. At the very center a chrome steel statue shines, the Archangel Gabriel holds the woman dressed in light, who gives birth to the son of Light on the next carved panel: the whole of life with light, blood and its own sacrifice, condensed into a single image. The central figure of the Emmaus Inn is the resurrected Christ, who encourages his disciples not to look at the crucified one, but at the resurrected one. I found the carved motif of the frame on a monastic cross, which has no beginning and no end, thus symbolizing the continuity of life. The next small sculpture, The Birth of the Holy Spirit testifies that the soul is here among us. A soul bird also appears on the other side of the exhibition: according to my belief we bury the body in the cemetery, the soul continues its journey. The dovecote erected above the Székely gates also refers to this, which represents the spirit of the ancestors. The next station symbolizes motherhood, on this line two lanterns are lit on both sides – I was inspired by the 18th-century paper lantern of the Déri Museum in Debrecen – on one I carved the Holy Family, the Three Kings approaching the newborn and the shepherds, on the other the churches of the Christian denominations and the inscription "Long live the homeland!". Then comes the "kissing cross" used in the Greek Catholic and Orthodox churches, and with the Tree of Life of the Roosters the Reformed symbol also appears, as the rooster is a symbol of vigilance. Starting from within, from the depths of the soul – and also from the interior of the exhibition space – I show my attachments to the Christian faith, homeland and family."
July 23, 2025
