Varga, Imre

Imre Varga was born on the 1st of November of 1923, in Siófok. He was discovered early as an artist. At the age of fourteen he already participated in an exhibition in Paris. He graduated from the Technical University in aerodynamics, and served as a soldier in World War II. He came back to Hungary from American captivity in 1945.

After an incidental meeting with sculptor Pál Pátzay, Varga was accepted to the University of Fine Arts, where he graduated in 1956 as a student of Pál Pátzay and Sándor Mikus. During his years at the University he was a regular participant of exhibitions. In 1965 he caused a stir with his chrome-steel sculpture titled "Prometheus", which can be found today at the Middelheim Open-air Sculpture Museum.

His diploma piece, titled "The sower", stands in the garden of the Lajosmizse Tanya-museum. Since 1957, Varga has participated in all the most significant Hungarian exhibitions. His first individual exhibition was held at the Institute for Cultural Relations in 1967.

He has worked in variuos different fields of sculpting. His works include small sculptures, medals, and - forming the most prominent part of his work - monumental public sculptures, monuments, portrait-monuments, and the design and creation of decorative sculptures. He often uses a combination of materials and techniques on a single work. Emphasis on everyday human traits is characteristic of Varga's art. He also worked on tapestries, graphics, and paintings for a short period of time. A major part of his oeuvre consists of funerary monuments.

Varga took part in nearly all the important European artistic events. He was awarded with all the prizes an artist can get: in 1969 the Munkácsy-, and in 1973 the Kossuth-awards, in 1975 he received the Polish Cultural Prize in Warsaw, while in Hungary he was awarded Merited Artist, and in 1979 Outstanding Artist. In 1983 he was the recipient of the Herder-award. He is a member of the European Academy. Since 1983, there has been a constant exhibition of his works in Óbuda. In 1985 he was nominated honorary citizen of Siófok

The French government awarded Varga the Medal of Arts and Humanities, and in Italy he recieved the Cross of Chilvalry. In 2003, the British Society of Portrait Sculptors gave him the Jean Masson-Davidson award in London. His sculpture of Béla Bartók was inaugurated in London in 2004. His sculptures can be found in Belgium, Italy, Serbia, Israel, Norway, Germany, Poland and France.