Personal Mythology by Klára Lakatos

Klara Lakatos is a Hungarian painter of Romani origin. She considers the world as a rhythmic variation of beautiful and ugly forces. The vibration of these two opposing energies intermingles in her images. Her creatures, dressed up with specific stylistic features, express the vulnerability and interdependence of humans.

Consciously and unconsciously, we all have a deep longing to understand our place in the world and understand ourselves, and we construct narratives to that end. These stories are powerful and captivating, and in spite of their universal frameworks, they are very personal. Personal myths develop and evolve from our experiences, an open story, constantly changing, updated by influences, not something unreal.

“I suspected that myth had a meaning which I was sure to miss if I lived outside it in the haze of my own speculations. [...] I took it upon myself to get to know ‘my’ myth, and I regarded this as the task of tasks.”

– C. G. Jung

Klára's expressive, often surreal works straddle the figurative and non-figurative border. Her characters are always embedded in a group, they are never alone, yet feel isolated. She uses no perspective. Beasts and creatures are almost always lurking among her human characters, the outlets of her inner forces and social struggle. Her personal symbols and rich colors have a strong history and meaning rooted in her Romani culture.