Artist interview with Máté Orr

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Please tell us a bit about yourself and your artwork?

I am Máté Orr and I divide my time between Budapest and Sicily. In my paintings, I create scenes by juxtaposing 2D and 3D elements. These scenes invite reflection on human behaviour and examine topics like control, impulse, and the subtle forces that shape our actions.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: How has your background shaped your artistic practice?

Both my parents are artists and art teachers, so we always had pencils and paper lying around. They also had an extensive library of art books, and since there was no internet at the time, I spent a lot of time looking at reproductions. Both of them had studios in the house, complete with a bronze casting workshop, so from an early age, I saw art as an integral part of how people record and process their experiences—not as something distant or obscure.

In secondary school, I studied graphic design, which made me more aware of what makes visual communication effective. In advertising, for example, it is widely understood that certain information is best conveyed visually, while other types are better suited to different mediums. Maps will probably never be replaced by pages of text. I believe art, most of the time, is a form of communication, and striving for a similar level of clarity and articulation is not a bad thing.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: How has your creative process changed over the years?

When I first started out, I was deeply interested in classical European painting. I worked from models, prepared my own primer, and used traditional paintbrushes. But as I realised that my main focus was personal experience, I began to find these traditional tools too formal. So, I started incorporating new methods into my process—using rollers, airbrush, and masking tape. In recent years, I’ve moved away from working with models or photo references altogether.

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: How has your artwork evolved since you first started making art?

In my teenage years, during maths class, I often drew animals or hybrid mythological creatures on the side of the page, interacting in emotionally charged scenes, so I think the content came naturally to me. I was always drawn to figurative art, so my experiments were mostly about ‘how’ rather than ‘what’.

At university, I studied printmaking and explored a range of techniques, from lithography to screen printing, each with its own distinct character shaped by the technology. Painting, however, is incredibly versatile, and I feel it brings a certain weight—or perhaps a sense of seriousness—to the deeply personal and emotional themes I work with.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: What inspired you to become an artist?

From a very early age, I knew that drawing and painting would always be an integral part of my life. Growing up, the artists I knew supported their practice with other sources of income, but I realised this came with a sacrifice—having to divide time and focus. I intuitively felt (even before it became widely acknowledged) that people aren’t really capable of multitasking, and I’m no exception.

To avoid the temptation of a teaching position, I chose not to pursue a teaching diploma. After university, trying to make it as an artist was daunting—I had a lot to learn, and I’m deeply grateful to those who supported me during that time. But in the end, I think this way of living is well suited to those who value independence above all else.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Are there any particular artists or movements that have greatly influenced your work? In what way? 

I often develop obsessions with certain artworks, and over time, they usually find a way of influencing my own work. I’m really pleased to see figurative art gaining more recognition. Back in 2010, when my career was starting out, the Hungarian and Central European art scene was still largely dominated by conceptual art, and I often found myself defending figurative practices in debates. I think pop art in general—and more recently, Lowbrow Pop Surrealism—have played a big role in this shift.

There are certain artworks I keep returning to and deeply admire. Among them are David Hockney’s large-format double portraits, with their quiet, stage-like compositions, and Kiki Smith’s magical world. Recently, I’ve become particularly interested in mid-20th-century artists whose work remains rooted in classical traditions yet feels entirely original—figures like Meredith Frampton, Gerald Brockhurst, and Franz Sedlacek, among others.

During my childhood, our family library was mostly filled with books on classical art. My favourites were Bosch’s hell scenes, and later, a volume of works by Dalí. The influence of their work is probably detectable in my paintings.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: How did you arrive at your style? What can you tell us about your individual style and visual language?

In my university years, I travelled to Northern Italy and saw the Lorenzetti frescoes in the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena—which became a defining moment. I had always been drawn to the transitional style of late Gothic and early Renaissance works, a period when the rules of perspective were not yet fully understood, but artists were making efforts towards more realistic depictions. This is especially evident in details like drapery, hands, or still life elements. At the same time, these works often include motifs that follow the more icon-like style of medieval art—such as patterned floors seen from above. I realised that this combination of different modes of depiction creates a unique effect: a degree of realism that still encourages the viewer to interpret motifs as symbolic emblems.

Later that same year, I visited the National Gallery in London, where the lesser-known reverse side of the Wilton Diptych reinforced this idea—a somewhat realistic stag restrained by a chain depicted in a completely flat, emblematic style.

After some experimentation, I began integrating elements drawn in vector graphics software—something I was familiar with from my graphic design studies—alongside more realistically rendered motifs.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: How do you select your themes or subjects?

I frequently sketch ideas that come unexpectedly—often when I’m tired or doing something mundane, like the dishes. Then I dry my hands and make sketches that border on unintelligible to record the idea. These usually contain the key elements of a composition, and the emotional relationships between the characters are often already well defined.

I have large quantities of these sketches, which I set aside for anywhere from a few hours to several years. When I revisit them, I decide whether they still feel exciting—if they do, I begin developing the idea further with preliminary drawings, refining the composition and details. This is usually the stage where I explore why the initial idea was relevant to me personally.

The themes often revolve around dominant-submissive dynamics, with characters trying to hurt or devour each other. But they rarely conform to their assigned roles—prey fights back, and predators remain still, lost in contemplation. I am drawn to this tension, as a kind of quiet rebellion or defiance is present not only in my paintings but in my personal life as well.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Your work seems to heavily reference animals, religion and art history, can you tell us about that?

Self-examination—reflecting on our own human behaviour—has never been an easy task. Aesop, in his fables, made it more palatable by using animals or even anthropomorphised objects to enact his scenarios. In psychology, it is often easier to talk about personal experiences in the third person, turning them into a story or a tale. Metaphor and analogy serve as tools to create this artificial distance, allowing us to see ourselves with greater clarity—something mythology and religion have long relied on. The world I create, inhabited by animals and hybrid creatures, serves a similar purpose.

There are many different attitudes towards the body of knowledge we call art history, but I believe neither excessive reverence nor outright dismissal is particularly beneficial for an artist. Understanding the historical and cultural context of an artwork can be incredibly valuable. At the same time, painting and sculpture have a unique quality—they capture personal experiences and they last a long time. Take the yellow horse in Lascaux, for example. We can still sense the artist’s connection to their subject, yet we have no way of knowing the language they spoke or their preferred hairstyles.

That’s why I’m always pleased to see historic artworks being used in memes—it means they remain part of our collective knowledge, and references to them continue to be widely understood.

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Please tell us about your latest body of work

"Observe as I Fly Away", my debut solo exhibition in Madrid at the Twin Gallery, explores the complex relationship between automatisms and autonomy through twelve paintings.

The painting that shares its title with the exhibition depicts an army of sea creatures attacking a flamingo with teeth, claws, and sharp, blade-like features. The automatic and expected response from the bird would be panic, yet it does not appear alarmed. Instead, it assesses its options coolly and, as the title suggests, is most likely going to fly away in a leisurely manner.

People are easily inflamed or triggered, constantly exposed to news from around the world. Examining how we react to threats, whether real or perceived, feels particularly relevant. Each of the twelve works explores a different aspect of this theme.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Do you have any upcoming exhibitions or projects that you are excited about?

I am delighted to be exhibiting a work in London at J D Malat Gallery’s group show, Portraits: Through The Looking Glass. In April, the Australian gallery 19Karen will present two of my new works in the group exhibition Two of a Kind.

 ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: What do you think is the most important aspect of creating successful artwork?

Depends on how one defines success. I really enjoyed Ellen Dissanayake's book What Is Art For?, in which she argues that, at its core, art is about making something special. The meaning of special will differ from person to person, shaped by their background and experiences.

But  if art history is any indication, great artworks are able to address the unchanging aspects of the human experience, our basic joys and fears, while presenting them from the very specific perspective of the artist.

‍

 ARTCOLLECTORNEWS:  Describe your process of creating a new artwork from concept to completion.

As I said, it all begins with a very basic sketch that appears in my mind at the most unexpected moments. This is followed by a lengthy planning phase, which sometimes takes longer than the actual work on the canvas.

At the impressionable age of 15, I visited a Dürer exhibition at the Albertina in Vienna and was struck by how structured his planning process was. He created small composition sketches and detailed black-and-white preliminary drawings for each motif.

I follow a similar approach, and I think the advantage of this method is that it allows me to make one decision at a time. First, I develop the overall composition, focusing on the major shapes and directions. Then, I create detailed drawings of each motif.

This process is partly manual and partly digital. I find that working with charcoal or pencil on paper gives me a better grasp of proportions, whereas Photoshop is a far more efficient tool for experimenting with different colour variations.

I also use vector graphic software to draw the final Bézier curves that define the flat elements in my paintings. By the time I begin working on the canvas, many decisions have already been made, allowing me to focus entirely on refining the exact colour values and the quality of the brushwork—whether using an airbrush or a paintbrush.

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: What is your favourite medium to work with? Please tell us a bit about how the medium influences or supports the ideas behind your work

I used to work with acrylics until I realised that oil paint—allegedly developed by the Eyck brothers—was designed to create a realistic effect, mimicking our everyday visual experience, which consists largely of sharp edges and soft colour transitions. Now, I use a combination of both materials.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Are there any techniques you have developed that you use consistently in your artwork?

The contrast between flat surfaces and realistic details is a fundamental aspect of my paintings. This combination disrupts the viewing process—we cannot perceive the scenes as realistic depictions of events that took place at a specific time and place.

Similarly to Egyptian hieroglyphs, where almost lifelike depictions of animals appear alongside completely abstract symbols, this approach encourages the viewer to focus on the symbolic meaning. It invites them to read the painting, analysing the role of each motif within the composition.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: What has been the most memorable artwork you have created? What makes this piece memorable?

A recent work that stands out to me is Milk. At first glance, it resembles a hunting scene, but it takes place on a table. The antelope sees its unfortunate situation as an opportunity to nurse from the tiger’s breast. I think this piece successfully captures something about the complex relationship between violence and nurturing.

I have also been experimenting with incorporating landscape into my work. In Milk, the background remains simple, composed only of black, white, and grey, yet it still possesses drama.

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: What was the most challenging piece you have ever created? How much do you think the effort you put into creating a work is important vs the idea behind it?

White Socks took a long time to plan. I knew I wanted a nice velvet curtain that partially obscures a scene—one that is at once violent, erotic, and suggestive of a ritual. The challenge was to explore superstition and magical thinking without directly referencing any existing tradition.

There is no idea without a medium to embody it. In his introduction to Alice Munro’s Runaway, Jonathan Franzen writes about the difficulty of summarising her stories: "The only adequate summary of the text is the text itself." No part can be removed or altered without changing the overall effect. I feel the same way about visual art—finding the precise form that conveys the idea accurately is a thrilling process.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS:  Can you tell us a bit about a few specific pieces you have created that you are particularly proud of?

Some paintings incorporate symbols of aggression and vulnerability into a single harmonious composition particularly well, such as Acting Out, Pearls, or Bad Omens.

The grandiose format of Staircase counterbalances the playfulness of the scene, which might feel light in a smaller size.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Are there any techniques or materials you would like to learn how to use in the future?

My practice is constantly evolving, so I am certain there will be shifts in the future. However, these changes are not planned. For example, over the past three years, I have been using airbrush more frequently to soften the flat surfaces in my paintings. I first experimented with it a few years ago, and now airbrushed elements appear in almost all of my works. But this is not part of a grand design—it happens organically over time, so I am also curious to see what the future brings.

‍

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: What themes or topics are you exploring in your current artwork?

Every experience we have has an emotional side. Productivity coaches make a living from the fact that people dislike doing boring tasks, even when they lead to future gratification. There is an analytical attitude today that I believe is entirely new.

In the past, reluctance to work was labelled as laziness—a generally shameful quality—whereas today, we are more inclined to examine the underlying reasons behind avoidance. In my work, I approach this emotional landscape through a playful and visually engaging world, drawing attention to the idea that introspection can be exciting or even adventurous. After all, unblinking and objective observation is the foundation of any meaningful analytical examination.

‍

 ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: Are there any projects or themes you would like to explore in the future?

I am very interested in how our habits can keep us from acting in ways we rationally intend, shaping many aspects of our lives. For example, research shows that a plant-based diet benefits both individual health and the environment more than eating sausages or bacon. Yet tradition and habit often stand in the way of applying this knowledge. With today's analytical mindset, we have an unprecedented opportunity to rethink our experiences. Science helps us understand these processes, but art, film, and literature allow us to experience ideas beyond what we are accustomed to

ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: What do you think is the most important skill a studio artist should have?

The ability to see one’s own work with a fresh eye. It is very difficult to get a distance from one’s own creation to actually see it for what it is, and what its effect will be, say in an exhibition.—without it, we risk being blind to our own shortcomings and arresting our own growth.

 ARTCOLLECTORNEWS:  What do you think has been the biggest challenge in your creative career?

My main focus has always been painting, and I have not always prioritised making my work more visible internationally. Still, I recognise that this is an important part of the process, as it allows me to connect with a wider audience. Social media has been a fantastic tool for bridging this gap.

 ARTCOLLECTORNEWS: What advice would you give to aspiring studio artists?

Working a lot and being bloody minded goes a long way. I was told not to paint in figurative style or that it is just a phase I will grow out of. Or that my work should look more serious, use less humour, and so on. Consider everything but only keep what feels right to you personally.

‍