About Me
Éva Farkas - Tapestry Artist
Art is my most important means of expression, the language of my existence. On this page, I would like to share with you the path that led me to the world of textile art and the creed that permeates each of my creations. Learn about my story, my mentors, and the milestones that shaped my career.
My Journey to Textile Art
My love for art dates back to when I was six years old. That was when I first picked up a pencil, and I have been drawing ever since. From a very young age, I consciously prepared myself for a career in art, because the process of creation always made me happy. My goal was to become a professional artist and devote most of my life to creating art.
That is why I enrolled at the Secondary School of Art in Pécs, where painter László Valkó and textile artist Diana Zs. Kovács set me on my artistic path.
After graduating from the Secondary School of Art in Pécs, I applied to the textile department of what is now MOME, then the College of Applied Arts, where I graduated as a woven wall hanging and tapestry designer.
I admit that I was not originally attracted to the world of textiles. There was a vacancy in the weaving department at secondary school, so that’s how I ended up there, even though I wanted to be a graphic artist. I wanted to draw and paint, so at first I was not enthusiastic about the vocational classes. Later, however, I applied to study textiles at university because the carpet weaving department of the Budapest Handicrafts Company in Abony offered me a job as a professional carpet designer. The carpets I designed would have been manufactured and sold in many countries around the world—it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. I thought that as a textile artist, I could still create graphics, since creativity is not limited to a single genre.
Drawing and watercolour painting have always been a source of fun and joy for me. Tapestry weaving, on the other hand, is a serious and complex activity: the design process involves drawing, painting and many creative decisions, while the weaving itself is hard physical and mental work.
After graduating from college, I really fell in love with tapestry weaving when I learned the reverse weaving technique from a weaver—the same technique that was once used at the Gobelin Manufactory in Paris. Once I had mastered the original Gobelin weaving method, I was able to appreciate the true beauty and depth of this art form.
Ars Poetica: The Language of Love
At the beginning of my career, my focus was on depicting nature, using classic tapestry techniques and subtle color transitions. The thematic exhibition entitled Castle Resonance at the Gödöllő Applied Arts Workshop inspired me to explore new paths and materials. This is when my work entitled “Lelet” (Find) was born, which marked the beginning of a new era: I began to combine elaborate tapestry with coarse, hand-woven hemp sackcloth. This contrast was not only an aesthetic experiment, but also a reflection of the complexity of today’s world.
At the same time, my interest turned to Eastern cultures and religions. In the second phase of my career, I called my works sacred tapestries. The third phase of my career was inspired by my spiritual journey and continues to define me to this day. For me, creation is the language of love, a tool that opens the way from heart to heart—both through my works and through teaching.
My Professional Career in a Nutshell
Awards and Scholarships
My career has been marked by several prestigious recognitions, including the Kozma Lajos Scholarship, the X. Wall and Space Textile Biennial Award, and the Ministry of Education and Culture Award at the Pelso Biennial.
Works in Public Collections
My artworks are featured in notable public collections such as the Szombathely Picture Gallery and the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest.
Public Works
I have created large-scale tapestries for various institutions, including Vasi Volán in Szombathely and the Hungarian National Bank in Budapest.
Solo and Group Exhibitions
Over the past decades, my work has been showcased at numerous national and international exhibitions, ranging from Vienna to Brussels, Glasgow to Geneva.
You can find the complete list of exhibitions
Studies
In 1978, I graduated from the Pécs Secondary School of the Arts, where my drawing teacher was the painter László Valkó, and my textile teacher was Diana Bizséné Kovács.
In 1984, I earned my diploma in the tapestry specialization of the Textile Department at the Hungarian Academy of Applied Arts. My masters were the painters Miklós János Kádár and János Szabó, the tapestry artist Károly Plesnivy, and the textile artists Margit Szilvitzky and Csaba Polgár.
Memberships
Since 1984, I have been a member of the National Association of Hungarian Creative Artists (MAOE).
Since 1991, I have been a member of the Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists.
Since 1996, I have been a member of the Hungarian Tapestry Artists’ Association. (I was one of the designers and weavers of the tapestries “Tapestry Without Borders” and “Saint Stephen and His Work”.)
Since its foundation in 1998, I have been a member of the Gödöllő Applied Arts Workshop (GIM). I regularly exhibit with the workshop both in Hungary and abroad. At the Artist’s House, I led drawing courses until 2005, and from autumn 2014 onward, I have been teaching carpet and tapestry weaving.
Since 2017, I have been a member of the DunArt Fine Arts Association in Dunakeszi.
Awards
1981–83 – Scholarship of the Hungarian People’s Republic
1987–90 – Kozma Lajos Scholarship
1987 – IDEA Award
1988 – Biennial Award (10th Wall and Space Textile Biennial)
1992 – FISE Scholarship
2004 – Award of the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage, Art Department (Vexillum Hungaricum), Turnhout (Belgium)
2006 – MAOE Scholarship
2009 – Ministry of Education and Culture Award – Pelso VII National Ceramics and Tapestry Biennial
Public Works
1988 – “Címeres verdűr” (tapestry), Vasi Volán, Szombathely
1992 – “Winged Sun Disc” (tapestry), Town Hall, Casalgrande
1994 – “Albedo ’94” (tapestry), Hungarian National Bank, Budapest
Works in Public Collections
1985 – “Spring, Autumn” (tapestries), Szombathely Picture Gallery
1989 – “Seasons” (I–IV, tapestries), Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest
1990 – “Dimensions of Weaving” (spatial textile), Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest
Solo Exhibitions
1984 – School Gallery, Dunakeszi
1985 – Radnóti M. Secondary School, Dunakeszi
Csokonai V. Secondary School, Csurgó
1986 – City Council, Göd
1988 – City Gallery, Mezőkövesd
1990 – Savaria Museum, Szombathely
1991 – József Attila Cultural Centre, Dunakeszi
1992 – Town Hall, Casalgrande (Italy)
1993 – Youth Centre, Fót
Ferencváros Cellar Gallery, Budapest
1997 – City Library, Dunakeszi
1998 – Music School, Dunakeszi
2001 – Town Hall, Casalgrande (Italy)
Cultural Centre, Nagyatád
2003 – Piros Gallery, Dunakeszi
2005 – Keve Gallery, Ráckeve
2007 – Gigant Kunst Im Palais, Vienna
Community House, Erdőkertes
2008 – Hotel Manréza, Dobogókő
Voglauer, Vác
2010 – Hotel Azúr, Siófok
Duna Pest Residences, Budapest
Rózsa Gallery, Mezőkövesd
AXA Mini Gallery, Budapest
2012 – Balassi Institute, Brussels
József Attila Cultural House, Göd
2014 – Farkas Ferenc Art School, Dunakeszi
Keve Gallery, Ráckeve
Farkas Ferenc Art School, Dunakeszi
Kismaros Community House
2015 – Galerie Noricum, Scharndorf, Austria
Nagymaros, “Night of Churches”
2019 – Balassi Institute, Ljubljana
2024 – MANK Gallery, Szentendre – “In the Language of Flowers”
2024 – Goldenduck Gallery, Budapest – “No Limits”
2024 – “Art en liberté”, Plein Air Festival, France
2024 – City Gallery, Vienna
2024 – MANK Gallery, Szentendre – “In the Language of Flowers”
2025 – “No Limits”, Goldenduck Gallery, Budapest
Art Colony Participation
2008 – International Art Colony, Zenta, Serbia
2011 – Atelje 61 Tapestry Workshop, Novi Sad, Serbia
Group Exhibitions
(Keeping the exact structure, names, and years as requested.)
1985 – “Hungarian Tapestry 1945–1985”, Műcsarnok, Budapest
1986 – City Library, Dunakeszi
1988 – IDEA Presentation, Dubai Trade Center (Kuwait)
10th Wall and Space Textile Biennial, Szombathely
Exhibition of Kozma Lajos Scholarship Holders, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest
1989 – FIS Exhibition, Pécs, Kalocsa
Exhibition of Kozma Lajos Scholarship Holders, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest
“Five Years of the Anna Rózsa Award”, Savaria Museum, Szombathely
Vigadó Gallery, Budapest
1990 – “Hungarians in Sweden”, Österbybruk
1991 – Ferenczy Memorial Exhibition, Vigadó Gallery, Budapest
1993 – FISE Exhibition, Ferencváros Cellar Gallery
Csók István Gallery, Buda Castle Old Tower, Budapest
“Living Tapestry”, Gödöllő Gallery
1994 – FISE Exhibition, Budapest Exhibition Hall, Budapest, Bratislava
1996 – 14th Wall and Space Textile Biennial, Szombathely
1997 – “Living Tapestry”, Gödöllő Gallery
“Woven Images”, Eger
“Pelso ’97”, Balaton Museum, Keszthely
“Propositions”, Stefánia Palace, Budapest
“Hand-Craft”, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest
Castle Hotel, Szirák
1998 – Fehérvár Salon, Székesfehérvár
Csend, Vigadó Gallery, Budapest
“Hand-Craft”, Museum of Applied Arts
1999 – “Light”, Exhibition of the Gödöllő Applied Arts Workshop, Gödöllő
2000 – “Castle Resonance”, Applied Arts Workshop, Gödöllő
2001 – “The Art of Table Setting and Gift Giving”, Podmaniczky Palace, Budapest
“Applied Arts”, Műcsarnok, Budapest
“Experience and Ideal”, Royal Palace, Gödöllő
“Pelso”, Balaton Museum, Keszthely
“Garden”, Applied Arts Workshop, Gödöllő
“Drawings, Designs”, Gallery IX, Budapest
2002 – “Garden in the City”, Budapest
MKE Exhibition, United Nations Headquarters, Geneva
2004 – “Women at the Gödöllő Artists’ Colony”, Macintosh Gallery, Glasgow
“Vexillum Hungaricum”, Turnhout (Belgium)
“GIM.garden”, Volksbank Hungary, Budapest
“Green”, GIM House, Gödöllő
GIM Exhibition, Contemporary Hungarian Gallery, Dunaszerdahely
2005 – “Garden of Atlantis”, GIM House, Gödöllő
Contemporary Artists Exhibition, Csók Gallery, Budapest
2006 – “Garden of Secrets”, GIM House, Gödöllő
“Solstice”, Association of Hungarian Fine and Applied Artists, Budapest
2007 – “100 Years of the Gödöllő Carpet”, GIM House, Gödöllő
“Water Garden”, GIM House, Gödöllő
MAOE Scholarship Holders Exhibition, Olof Palme House, Budapest
Hungarian Art Colonies, Contemporary Artists Exhibition, Mill of Art, Szentendre
50th Anniversary Exhibition of the Pécs Art School, Pécs Gallery
Galerie grenzART, Hollabrunn, Austria
2008 – “Under Walnut Trees”, International Art Colony, Town Hall, Zenta (Serbia)
Hungarian Tapestry – Kölcsey Centre, Debrecen
“Message”, GIM House, Gödöllő
“Winter Garden”, GIM House, Gödöllő
2009 – Pelso VII National Ceramics and Tapestry Biennial, Balaton Museum, Keszthely
2011 – Finnish–Hungarian Art Exhibition, House of Hungarian Creative Artists, Budapest
2012 – Kunst Kontakt Textil, Rathaus Oberpullendorf
GIM House, Gödöllő
2013 – “Ilka’s Garden”, Gödöllő Applied Arts Workshop
Gödöllő Summer Exhibition, House of Arts, Gödöllő
ECHO, Finnish–Hungarian Art Exhibition, Danube Palace, Budapest
Bácska Cultural Palace, Baja
2014 – Kunst.Kontakt Textil 2014, Oberpullendorf, Austria
2015 – Gödöllő Applied Arts Workshop Exhibitions
2016 – Szombathely Picture Gallery – “100 Years of Hungarian Tapestry II”
Gaál Imre Gallery, Budapest – Tapestry Artists’ Exhibition
Vértes Agórája, Tatabánya – “Signs”
2017 – Pest County Government Office, Budapest – Dunakeszi Artists Exhibition
VJT Salon, Barabás Villa, Budapest
DunArt Gallery, Dunakeszi
2018 – VOKE Dunakeszi – DunArt Exhibition
Vigadó Gallery, Budapest – “Garden in the City”
2019 – Canadian International Tapestry Exhibition, Oakville, Ontario
2024 – MANK Gallery, Szentendre – “In the Language of Flowers”
Goldenduck Gallery, Budapest – “No Limits”
Art en liberté, Plein Air Festival, France
City Gallery, Vienna
2025 – “No Limits”, Goldenduck Gallery, Budapest