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Ákos Major

1974, Gyöngyös - Hungary
Lives and works in Budapest
Represented by TOBE Gallery since 2017
  • Akos Major is a landscape photographer who uses his photographs as a kind of meditation. Shooting both deserted and urban places with a unique perspective and a crisp intensity despite the overcast weather, he manages to conduct a sense of appeasement in us – like a real therapy.

    Landscape photography is about waiting for the right circumstances – the lights, the wind, the clouds,” he says. “I often find beautiful scenery but have to leave and come back another time because of the weather conditions. I visit my favourite places often because you never know when you can get the picture you really want. Sometimes it takes months.”

    Major says he’s influenced by the photography of Michael Kenna, particularly his Tree Portrait, Study 1, Wokato, Hokkaido, Japan (2002). “You can take a photo of a tree. You can take it in a fancy way, as minimalism or whatever stylish manner. I have seen hundreds of ‘lonely tree in snow’ photographs (and have even done some myself!) but this one has the spirit. It has the ‘Shibui’ – a simple, subtle beauty – I guess. I love Kenna’s photography, but what I do love more is his state of mind. He indulges himself in imperfection. I started my work as a kind of escape from everyday life and it has brought a kind of inner peace to my mind, so I intend to take care of it.”

     

     

    IG Ákos Major

Academic studies

2001 – Hungarian University of Arts and Design (now MOME), Budapest / visual communications BA
1993 – Secondary School of Arts, Pécs / applied graphics

 

Solo exhibitions

2021

– Dad’s walks | Apa csavarog – TOBE Gallery / Budapest

2018

– ORDER | REND – TOBE Gallery / Budapest

 

Selected group exhibitions

2023

– Winter Show: FCKN LOVE – TOBE Gallery / Budapest

2020

– SO[u]LIDARITÉ online – TOBE Gallery / Budapest
– Summer Show: Dreamers – TOBE Gallery / Budapest
– Subjectively Objective – OITO / Detroit
2019

– LIGHT – TOBE Gallery / Budapest
2018

– Playground curated by TOBE Gallery – Pegazus / Szentbékkálla
2017

– GÜELCOME – TOBE Gallery / Budapest
2016

– PICTURES and PIXELS | Photographic Art – and beyond | National Salon 2016 – Budapest Hall of Art – Kunsthalle / Budapest
2015

– Arquitecturas – Victor Lope Arte Contemporáneo / Barcelona
2014

– Crossroads – Victor Lope Arte Contemporáneo / Barcelona
– Crossing Lines – Victor Lope Arte Contemporáneo / Barcelona
– Le Project SFAX – Centre Cívic Fort Pienc / Barcelona
– Le Project SFAX – Kheireddine Palace / Tunis
2012

– Perfect Exposures 2012 – The Perfect Exposure Gallery / Los Angeles

 

Presence in Art Fairs

2021

– MIA Milan Image Art Fair – TOBE Gallery / Milan

2020

– Art Market Budapest – TOBE Gallery – Art Advisory Budapest / Budapest

2019

– MIA Photo Fair – TOBE Gallery / Milan
2018

– viennacontemporary – TOBE Gallery / Vienna
– MIA Photo Fair – TOBE Gallery / Milan
2017

– Art Market Budapest – TOBE Gallery / Budapest
– Parallel Vienna – TOBE Gallery / Vienna
– MIA Photo Fair – TOBE Gallery / Milan

 

Awards

2012

– Grand Prix de la Découverte – winner in Landscape category / Paris

 

Works in collections

Aksenov Family Foundation / Moscow
Bibliotheque Nationale de France / Paris

 

Publications

2019

– Observations in the Ordinary by Noah Waldeck – Edited by Obscura Land / Detroit
– Subjectively Objective Issue 20 by Noah Waldeck – Edited by Obscura Land / Detroit
2016

– Two of a Kind by Sandrine Kerfante – Edited by Chronicles Books / San Francisco
2015

– An Uncommon Archive – Edited by T. Adler Books / Santa Barbara
2013

– Le Project SFAX by Juan Angel de Corral – Edited by Delegation of the EU to Tunisia / Maghreb
2012

– The Still Series – Ákos Major by J. Walters – Edited by Global Art Junkie / Ontario

 

Selected PRESS

2021

– Contrasting intimacy, Lili Farkas-Zentai / HYPEandHYPER

– A sivatag mindenütt jelen van, és megváltja a jelentéktelenséget, Sirbik Attila / Új Művészet

– Dad’s walks : Ákos Major / Artmirror

– Major Ákos fotográfus munkái ember nélküli tájakról, amelyek az emberről mesélnek / Műtárgy

– A kényelmes távolság a világ és köztem, Tóth Judit Nikolette / Artnews

2018

– MAJOR ÁKOS – grafikus, fotóművész/graphic designer, photographer / Neighbour Art

– Minden ugyanaz másként, Karip Timi / INDEX Nagykép

– Az ember világa. A világ embere, Tóth Judit Nikoletta / Artnews

2017

– Interview with fine art photographer Ákos Major / international photogrAphy magazine

– Les paysages balnéaires minimalistes d’Akos Major / Art Juice

 

 

available artworks

DAD’S WALKS / APA CSAVAROG

Archival pigment ink prints from medium format digital photography and analogue negatives

 

What's on at TOBE