A unique success story in contemporary painting

Szabolcs Bozó burst onto the international contemporary art scene in recent years, and he is now regarded as one of the most sought-after young Hungarian painters. The career of the Pécs-born artist is a true success story: he began painting seriously while working in the hospitality business in London, where his talent quickly attracted the attention of art dealers and galleries. His paintings soon made their way to prominent exhibitions and collections in New York, Venice, Hong Kong and other major art capitals. Following his breakout year in 2021, he became the highest-selling living Hungarian artist at auction in 2023, which is a clear sign of both his international recognition and the value of his work. Szabolcs Bozó currently lives and works in London, where he maintains a studio and is represented by renowned international galleries, including the Carl Kostyál Gallery, with locations in London, Milan and Stockholm, which is one of the main partners of our exhibition. The exhibition Soulmate, realised in the NEO Contemporary Art Space, is a landmark event since it is the artist’s debut in Hungary.

From ‘cutism’ to the depths of the soul

Szabolcs Bozó’s large-scale, vividly coloured paintings distinguished by playfulness are instantly recognisable. His artistic universe draws inspiration from the history of Hungarian animation and its well-known characters familiar from our childhood. However, it is important to emphasise that Bozó does not copy these figures but reimagines them from memory: he channels them through his own distinct vision and thus breathes new life into these characters populating his dynamic and vibrant compositions.

The primary aim of the exhibition organised in NEO is to showcase the significant creative evolution that has taken place in Szabolcs Bozó’s art in recent years. His earlier works, often described with the word cutism, typically featured simplified, endearing figures and reflected a deliberately naïve, instinctive painterly approach. In contrast, the ironically or grotesquely rendered characters of the newer, more complex multi-figure compositions, many of which are displayed at our exhibition, enter into more intricate relationships with one another.

The title of the exhibition, Soulmate, refers not only to one of the featured paintings but also symbolically signifies the deeper and more nuanced system of relationships that characterises Bozó’s more recent work that emerges between the figures themselves as well as between the artwork and the viewer. The exhibition guides visitors through this process of transformation, opening up the opportunity for a more layered and sophisticated interpretation of Szabolcs Bozó’s works.