Friday, September 23, 2011

Emese Albrecht: contemporary collages & textile manipulations

Collage by Emese Albrecht Image courtesy of artist
Untitled collage by Emese Albrecht Image courtesy of the artist
Untitled collage by Emese Albrecht Image courtesy of the artist
Untitled textile manipulation by Emese Albrecht Image courtesy of the artist

Untitled textile manipulation by Emese Albrecht Image courtesy of the artist

Untitled textile manipulation by Emese Albrecht Image courtesy of the artist


Design studies by Emese Albrecht Image courtesy of the artist

Emese (Em-eh-shay) Albrecht (b. 1986) appeared as self-effacingly humble as she is multi-talented, one of Hungary´s hottest fashion designers.

As well, she emerges as a multi-skilled contemporary artist: drawing, acrylic painting, performance, fashion installations, photography, collage, montage, textile and graphics.

Her new fashion design reputation brought me to the Folt Café in Szentendre, 20 kilometers north of Budapest.
Albrecht´s foray into fashion competition started in October 2009.
She designed and created a single garment that could be worn either as a jacket or dress.

She competed in three rounds of ModArt of Budapest´s juried national competition with 15 other finalists, creating works inspired by one-word: “Illusion.”

This theme seemed a natural for Albrecht, who said she loves the surreal.

She recycled used men´s clothes into a woman´s garment that can be worn as a dress or a jacket.

On 26 January, the jury awarded Albrecht first place.

She won a week´s intense study at the Academy of Arts Visart, Paris in February.

“Emese Albrecht in the second round presented her drawings and exciting ideas, which attracted the attention of the jury, creating expectations for the showing of her garment in the third round,” wrote ModÁrt Budapest director Szilvia Horvath.

Conceptual design by Emese Albrecht Image courtesy of the artist
I soon realized there´s a firestorm of creative energies flowing from the Folt Cafe where about 20 members of the Forgacs Group congregate and create.
Emese Albrecht Photo by Stefan van Drake

This town of 24,000 claims 400 - 500 working, independent artists and historically, at least for the last century, produced some of Hungary´s best avant-garde and contemporary artists.
 
When I encountered Emese Albrecht at the Folt in June and July this year, I quickly grasped that there´s an element of genius in this 25-year-old trained artist.


As a professional journalist, my mantra is to show, not tell, to avoid superlatives and eschew adjectives.

When I realized the plethora of talent Albrecht owned and demonstrated (these portfolios represent only a small part of her works), I sensed this relative unknown needs knowing.

That is why I am running this series on her. (I stress I am not an educated or trained artist, an art critic or art historian.)

I have come to appreciate, however, what may be the works of a maestro.



Rock on and practice peace and love.
Stefan, the ArtTraveler™

Art travel to Andalusia, to our mountains for a week-long mosaics or sculpture workshop or walking holiday. See: www.spanjeanders.nl and www.competafinearts.com.

Islamic art and design at Granada´s Alhambra, photograph by Stefan van Drake (2009)

Contact me at stefanvandrake@gmail.com or by calling (34) 951 067 703, or from the UK at BT landline rates, 0844 774 8349.

ArtTraveler video offering: A most talented soprano sax player scores coins at Southward Underground Station, London.



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