Exhibition offers new perspective on musical figures

An exhibition of works by Hungarian artist Gábor Winkler-Nemes, Essence of Music opens today (7 March). The exhibition presents close-up portraits of musicians, conductors and composers including Menuhin, Bartok, and Gould.

Formally trained in fine art at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Nemes is also an amateur musician. His exploration of light and colour in his works is influenced not only by his studies of art and music but also his synaesthesia, a condition in which he sees music as colour. 

Concert violinist, film director and author, Bruno Monsaingeon provided the exhibition introduction. He wrote: ‘[Nemes] has been exposed… to an unbelievably broad pictorial, literary and musical spectre of cultures… All of these are reflected in his painting style, [which is] both intensely personal and eclectic.’

As a synaesthet, Nemes' extrasensory perception allows his work to offer a deeper insight into the subjects of his portraits. He translates each musicians' aural impact into visual media, adding an extra dimension to his work.

Essence of Music will run from 7-19 March 2022 at the Coningsby Gallery in London and will be open from Monday to Saturday.

You can find an exhibition catalogue here.