From June 1 to 9, 2011, the Hungarian-born painter Zsuzsanna Udvarhelyi, known as ZsUd, will exhibit several of her works in the Atrium of the Monte-Carlo Casino.
Lively and delicate, ZsUd’s pictorial universe is inspired by the secessionism movement, an Art Nouveau trend that emerged in Central Europe. Her textured, light, and delicate creations are adorned with pale colors and stylized ornamentations. Silver, violet, sea green, and sand yellow play against opalescent backgrounds, suggesting the beauty of radiance and clarity.
To strangers whose faces inspire her, ZsUd often asks them to pose for her, not to create their portraits but to capture their soul, hopes, and fears. She enjoys capturing everyday life: an awkward gait, a character letting loose, an individual’s pride, vanity, or joy, but also what is elusive and intangible within them. For her, “the role of the painter is not to show what we all can see, but what we cannot see, yet are able to recognize.”
Struck by the sense of power one inevitably feels when confronting ZsUd’s work, critics have praised her unique style, her distinctive way of working with materials, and her art of combining opacity with vibrant colors.
In the impressive volumes of the Atrium of the Monte-Carlo Casino, ZsUd’s works have found an ideal setting for their luminescence. A patron and discoverer of talents since 1863, the Monte-Carlo SBM group never misses an opportunity to support creative work, regularly offering its fabulous architectural heritage to artists.
