MÁRTA KOPASZ

Contributions to culture and science

 She made woodcuts from the beginning of her career and it was also her thesis. Her wood and linoleum engravings are mostly cityscapes, historical compositions and depictions of people. She has been making ex libris since the 1930s. Her prints, with their broken lines, historical inspiration and black and white stains, are local in spirit. Her work includes a number of ex libris, printed poster designs and woodcuts. In addition to local exhibitions, Márta Kopasz’s small prints have been shown in international ex libris exhibitions in Budapest, Berlin, Leipzig, Paris, Krakow, Cannes, Como and Warsaw. In 1966 she was elected a founding member of the International Association of Ex Libris Collectors, which was founded in Hamburg. In 1967, she won the bronze medal at the 3rd Malbork Ex Libris Biennale. Her works were published in various journals abroad. Her multifaceted and colourful work is completed with pastel portraits and tempera paintings. In her tempera paintings she captured the typical scenes of folk life and the markets of Szeged.

Short biography

 She completed her secondary education at the Szent Erzsébet Girls’ High School in Szeged between 1921 and 1929. After graduating from secondary school (1930-1936) she continued her studies at the Royal Hungarian School of Applied Arts, where her teachers were Jenő Haranghy, Imre Simay, Ferenc Helbing and Endre Domanovszky. She graduated with honours and was awarded a scholarship from the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

She returned to Szeged, and from 1938 to 1952 held the position of lecturer in graphic design at the Faculty of Humanities of the University, which had become vacant after György Buday had left for abroad. As a result, she was again awarded a scholarship, and this is how she came to Kalotaszeg and the region of Szeklerland. Between 1952 and 1957, under the encouragement of László Vinkler and Jenő Major, she was an adjunct professor in the Department of Drawing and Art History at the Szeged Teacher Training College.

In 1957 she was transferred to the Kato Hámán Elementary School. From 1963 she taught at the Tömörkény István Secondary School of Art until her retirement. She was a member of the National Association of Hungarian Artists, the Association of Hungarian Artists and Craftsmen, the Szeged Fine Arts Guild since its foundation, and the Circle of Friends of Small Graphics. Until her death she was an active participant in the art life of Szeged. From 1992 to 1996 she was a member of the Aba-Novák public foundation.

Interesting facts

Recognitions:

• Chamber of Commerce and Industry Nude Painting Award (1936)

• Móra Ferenc Award (1947)

• Creative Award of the City of Szeged (1971)

• Creative Award of Csongrád County (1985)
• József Attila Medal (1986)
• Creative Award of the City of Szeged (1992)
• Honorary Citizen of Szeged (1997)
• Magister Emeritus Title (1998)