The graphic artist Zoltán Lenkey would be seventy years old this year. However, he was gone twenty-five years ago. Neither are his artworks with us. The Memorial Exhibition wishes to fill this gap by setting off a practice that would replace Zoltán Lenkey among the acclaimed artists of fine art.

Zoltán Lenkey’s oeuvre is not a finished one, not even a sequence of experiments or studies. He was a meditative man, he only put down compositions on canvas or paper that he thoroughly thought over and were the result of ripe technique. His results never satisfied him. He was not attracted to an arrangement of a set of works. He was always in search of something new, the possibilities. In 1980, in a radio interview with Béla Dobok Zoltán, Lenkey said the following about his art:
"I am a devotee of representational painting. Representational painting does not mean that the only way to work is without mental content only based on the spectacle. But some kind of starting point is necessary to determine my personality and that is mirrored in my works, too."

We are planning the publication of an exclusive graphic folder, in 30 copies. A folder would include 6 original copper engravings done by the graphic artist Kinga Horváth with the original copper plate templates by Zoltán Lenkey, as well as short biography in English and Hungarian. The folders can be pre-ordered at 195.000 Ft.

The life of the graphic artist Zoltán Lenkey:

1936. He was born on 21 February in Miskolc. His mother was Lídia Lenkey, his father was unknown.
1938 - He moved to Disznóshorváti /today: Izsófalva/ to his grandfather, Dániel Lenkey where he stayed until age 11.
Towards the end of the 1940's he moved back to Miskolc where he began primary school. He was not a eminent student but even then he occupied himself with drawing.
In 1952 he began his studies at the Földes Ferenc Grammar School. He attended the drawing group of László Papp and János Seres.
In 1956, he failed the school leaving exam, but had been already accepted to the Collage of Fine Arts. At the end of 1956 he passed the test.
From 1956 to 1962 he attended the Collage of Fine Arts in Budapest. In his third year, he continued his studies at the graphic department. His professors were: András Csanády - graphics, Jenő Barcsay - representational art, anatómia, István Szőnyi, GézaFónyi - II. III. year painting, Crescencia Zelenák - applied graphic, SándorÉk - IV year facsimile graphics. He studied Russian and English. He also attended literature classes at collage.
1961 - He took part at the I. Miskolc Graphics Biennial. He spent summers at the artist colony of Miskolc. During collage he made friends with Béla Kondor, Csaba Rékassy, Margit Ágotha.
1962 - he finished his thesis with six copper engraving illustrations to poems by Attila József: "Night on the Outskirts", The Dog, When My Darling Crossed the Street, Air, The Kings of Bethlehem and Mother. He and his wife moved to Miskolc the same year where they were consigned to a studio flat.
1963 - He was first awarded at the II. Miskolc Graphics Biennial. He was also awarded at the following biennials: 1965, 1967, 1969, 1973 /Grand Prize/, 1983 /posthumous/ Member of the Biennial Jury in 1965-75, 1979.
1964-67 - Derkovits Scholar. Me made friends with Kálmán Csohány and Gyula Feledy.
1966 - He participated at the Graphics Biennials in Krakow and Tokyo.
1967 - He was awarded at the National Fine Arts Exhibition in Miskolc.
1968 - His first solo exhibition was held at the Dürer Room in Budapest. He was awarded at the National Fine Arts Exhibition in Miskolc. He continued taking part at the prolongation of this, the Winter Exhibition. He won the application of the Studio of Young Artists. He shows in Lugano, Essen and Berlin. From that year on, he spent summers in Bulgaria, at artist colonies and at the beach.
1969 - His solo exhibition at the University of Miskolc. He participated at exhibitions in Bologna, Kiel.
1970 - He won the Miskolc Winter exhibition and Studio of Young Artists Award. He partook at exhibitions in Bucharest, Prague, Addis Abeba and Paris.
1971 - His solo exhibition in the Miskolc Gallery and Izsófalva.
1972 - His solo exhibition in Sátoraljaújhely. He won the panno application of the University Library of Miskolc. However, he only managed to finish the sketches. In 1981 he bought canvas for the panno, but never finished them.
1973 - Solo exhibitions in Ormosbánya and Tokaj. He was awarded with the Munkácsy Award. He won the Grand Prize of the VII. National Fine Arts Exhibition in Miskolc.
1974 - He divorced his first wife and left the studio. Until 1978 he spent a considerable time in Debrecen. He began painting, did pastels, aquarelles. He showed paintings at the Winter Exhibition in Miskolc. He held solo exhibitions in Debrecen and Szabadka. He designed the brochure for the exhibitions the same year and organized the display "Drawings".
1975 - He was the first to receive the Kondor Béla Medallion. He exhibited at the University of Heavy Industry and the Miskolc Gallery. In the second half of the 70’s he gives drawing classes at the University.
1976 - His second marriage to Lenke Gaál. His solo exhibition in Ózd.
1978 - Solo exhibition in Miskolc at the Semmelweis University /with Gyula Feledy/ and the showing room of József Attila Library.
1980 - Kálmán Csohány died. His showing with Gyula Feledy in memory of Csohány at the Mini Gallery. The five drawings and paintings he showed there:
1981 - His solo exhibition in Encs.
1982 - He spent a month at Vologa at the artist colony. His solo exhibitions at the Mini GAllery /with drawings from Vologda/ and the MÁV Sports Centre in Miskolc.
1983. He died on 15 April after short hospitalization. A few of his drawings he did at Vologda were shown at the library of the University of Heavy Industry in Miskolc. An exhibition at the Fészek Club from his artworks purchased by the Herman Ottó Museum.
1984. 22 February - 25 March. Memorial Exhibition at the Miskolc Gallery.
1993 - Memorial exhibition on the 10th anniversary of his death at the Papszer Street Showing Rooms of HOM.
1994 - His solo exhibition in Sofia, Bulgaria .
1995 - Solo exhibition in Izsófalva. He was posthumously awarded with the Pro Urbe Award by the self-government of Miskolc.