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Lajo

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CONTENTHis background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The person . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

His Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Style and material development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The development of his classic sryle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The liberation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The Emergence of Seld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

The three theses of the abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

His philosophy of color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

The light and the radiance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The importance of shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

His handling of the materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

The artist as teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

St.Moritz`s studio-gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

The critics and the acceptance

in the proff essional world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Exhibitions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Cover: Desire. 1995, acrylic on canvas

Text: Regula Sommer

Photo: Ruslana Tscheligi

© 2011 Adrienne & Zsolt Tscheligi/ Blue Sphere GmbH

3

Lajos Tscheligi was an artist who took his

vocation very seriously and put his body

and soul into it. In relation to his surround-

ings, his past and also with the great classic

and contemporary composers, architects,

philosophers and authors, he brought forth

an inner fire, a synthesis of spirit, emotion

and material and expressed it in his pic-

tures. He was obsessed with the desire to

communicate his expertise and the inner

alchemical processes to the beholder of his

works. In his soul was the mysticism of life

and he wanted to catch and express the se-

cret striving for love and light with brushes

and colors.

Tscheligi was born on the 10th of Au-

gust 1913 in Budapest, the son of a glass

painter and church restorer. It was a time

of change and turmoil. So much was hap-

pening – in politics, in art and in society.

The experiences and the turbulence in

early childhood influenced and shaped

him throughout his life. As a boy he found

colors, shapes and sounds magical and he

was driven by a desire to find an answer to

all the turmoil around him. His father took

him to the church where he worked and

the young Tscheligi learned colors and the

exposure to chalk, charcoal and paint. At

the age of nine he painted his teacher and

his artistic aptitude was noticed for the first

time. At the age of eleven he was commis-

sioned to draw a map of the city of Buda-

pest, which was a great honor and earned

him his first money.

At fifteen, he painted the image of an

angel on a wall with its shadow. That was

the beginning of his search for the inter-

His background

4

pretation of transparency, which always in-

tently engaged him.

There was not enough money in the fam-

ily for him to study art. However when the art

professor Illés Aladár Edvi saw the portrait of

the grandmother that the talented twenty

year old had drawn in charcoal, he and his col-

league Oskar Glatz enrolled him as a private

student and taught him for four years the the-

oretical and basic principles of painting. The

insight of the young art student that there is

no art without nature was reflected in his early

landscape paintings in oil and pastel. „In these

images you can feel that the artist is a real

Hungarian; he hears the sound of the water,

feels the breath of the plain and all the fresh-

ness that nature brings,“ one critic wrote after

Tscheligi’s first exhibition in September 1943.

Then the Second World War raged. The

soldier Tscheligi was captured by the Rus-

sians, however he was able to escape.

In 1945 back in Hungary he joined the

Hungarian „Union of Fine Arts“. His desire

as an artist was to express his perception of

light, vitality and the knowledge of the pres-

ence of soul and spirit in color and form. His

subjects - people, landscapes and events

showed strong vibrant expressiveness. In

1948 he presented three of his pictures at

the centenary exhibition in Budapest, where

his father, who he felt spiritually connected

to, also showed individual works.

Grandmother. 1940;

coal on paper, 39x42 сm

Landscape in Hungary. 1942, pastel on paper, 52x41 сm

5

The marriage in 1950 to Agnes Csürös

and the desire for a family required a sta-

ble income. Tscheligi studied surveying and

worked as a construction manager in Eger in

the Bück mountains in order to earn money.

However his heart and passion was painting,

which he did every free minute he had.

In 1956 Hungary was threatened with

political turmoil, which culminated in the

popular uprising. The young family of four

fled to Switzerland and lived in an apart-

ment in Chur. In a studio in the old town of

Chur Tscheligi taught art. In the studio/gal-

lery in St. Moritz he found the light and the

freedom to explore philosophical thoughts

with the significance of the colors. The un-

folding of his inner urge for the expression

of much needed transparency created the

first abstract works. Influenced by the strug-

gle for survival and the quest for integration

in a foreign country, this was a difficult peri-

od but very liberating for his work. At last he

could paint what he felt. He dedicated him-

self, inspired by the philosophy of Rudolf

Steiner, to study his own personal painting

style of metaphysical abstraction and to de-

velop his own color philosophy.

This was followed by invitations for exhi-

bitions in Switzerland, France and England.

In 1964/65 the family lived in the United

States. But out of concern that his son would

Agnes. 1959,

acrylic on cardboard,

13x16 сm

Picnic. 1960-62, acrylic on canvas, 60x60 сm

6

be called to serve as a soldier in the Vietnam

War, the planned emigration was rejected

and Tscheligi returned with his family to

Switzerland.

Admission as a member in Bern to the

„Society of Swiss Painters, Sculptors and Ar-

chitects“ in 1965 and the obtaining of Swiss

citizenship in 1971, helped Tscheligi slowly

to find his way as an artist in Switzerland

and obtain greater attention.

Other numerous exhibitions in Europe,

USA, South America and Asia increased the

circle of lovers of his art.

On the 13th of June 2003, Lajos Tsche-

ligi died aged ninety years old. He found

his own artistic expression after an adven-

turous, passionate, rich and full life. He left

a steadily growing group of deeply con-

nected people, who enjoy his spiritual and

emotional inspiration every day.

Contact with the blue Planet. 1975-80,

acrylic on canvas, 120x60 сm

7

Lajos Tscheligi was remarkable. He was of

stout stature, always tanned and he radiated

a great inner strength. He was often seen

with at least one or two plastic bags, dressed

in blue jeans, with a light shirt, white snea-

kers and white shoulder length hair. In later

years he wore the requisite dark blue cotton

hat with a floppy brim; one would recognize

him as a smart sophisticated world traveler.

His eyes sparkled with fiery temperament

and also shone like a merry joker. He seemed

to always be in a good mood. He was fun

with all people, old or young, rich or poor.

He liked to stir things up with a pinch of his

Hungarian humor, especially with the Swiss

sedate culture. In this respect he was not al-

ways accepted.

When he was around it was sunny, warm,

cheerful and colorful. He brought always

bustling vitality into play. When there was

something to do, he was there; playing foot-

ball with the kids in the park, helping ladies

with baby carriages in the tram,

escorting an intoxicated per-

son home and renovating his

daughter‘s bathroom shower.

He was not one who looked

away when someone needed

help, but was someone that

one could rely on.

He kept in shape until the

end of his life with daily exer-

cises. His mind remained alert

with meditation. As a young

man he was ambitious, athle-

tic, successful – he was even

a wrestler. As a father he was

keen on physical activity. He

was good at sport, not only

with his children, but a good

companion when roller ska-

Visions of the Future. 1985-90, acrylic on canvas, 70x70 сm

The person

8

ting, cross country skiing, playing ball, gym-

nastics and rock climbing.

Blessed with a wonderful voice, he would

also have liked to have become an opera

singer. He studied and admired the great ar-

tists, architects and musicians of the old and

new times. They were for him the measure of

all things. He directed his thinking and works

to them.

Lajos was generous. Even when he had

nothing he gave everything. His gift was

his talent as an artist. He painted - anytime,

anywhere. He painted everything

- charcoal, pencil or brush. While

in prison in Russia for example, he

used small scraps of paper that he

found and colored pencil stubs,

which he had to hide from his gu-

ards. He wanted to capture his im-

pressions and thoughts. Painting

was his passion; his art was his

life. Passion was his whole being.

He composed in his tiny work-

shop next to the Hotel Post in St.

Moritz, pictures and sung songs

with fervor from his favorite ope-

ras. People would be on the street

listening with pleasure. He often

had a surprise guest in front of this

studio. On the sidewalk he would

Source of Hope. 1986, acrylic on cardboard, 40x50 cm

Love is the reason of Life.

1985-90, acrylic on canvas,

60x60 cm

9

prepare an unbeatable Hungarian goulash

on a gas stove!!!

He passionately explored the world of

color, light, shape and their interaction. Thus

arose in his mind his own philosophy of tran-

scendence and transparency and formed in

his brain the thought as the basis of his art.

When he talked with people, who were wil-

ling to listen, the atmosphere was serious

and deep. Those who were lucky and took

the time to get to know this side of Lajos

Tscheligi, were privy to a researcher, thinker

and philosopher who knew how to tell in his

own words the gestures of a cosmic dimensi-

on beyond the earthly form.

Lajos Tscheligi‘s personality was multi-

faceted, complex and as often happens the-

re were sometimes conflicting reactions. The

ever growing group of admirers of his art

knew him to be charming, uncomplicated,

an amiable host, who relaxed spontaneously

with all people. His critics misunderstood his

humor and smiled at his artistic expression.

Not everyone agreed with his open direct

way of expressing his opinion

and philosophy, but he always

was unmistakably authentic. He

loved life, people, the convivia-

lity, art and culture. Everything

artificial was foreign to him and

he made this very clear to eve-

ryone.

With his pictures he has left

a legacy that offers far more

than superficial pleasantness,

and cheap commercialism. In

them the interested viewer

opens a world of mystery, my-

sticism and the power of a uni-

versal immortality.

Reflection. 1996, acrylic on canvas, 60x60 cm

10

Style and material development

Naturalistic – Pastel, oil chalks, oil, colored

pencils, ink

Impressionist – Pastel, oil chalks , oil, acrylic

Expressionist – Oil chalks , oil, acrylic,

gouache (putty)

Naturalistic-expressionist – Oil chalks, oil,

acrylic, putty

Vibrationism (musicality) – Oil, acrylic,

putty

Philosophical abstraction – Oil chalks, oil,

acrylic, putty

Metaphysical abstraction – Oil chalks,

acrylic, ink

On paper, cardboard, canvas and his own

creation of a special cardboard.

The caption contains excerpts and quotes

from an interview with the Hungarian art cri-

tic Ildiko Mester during an exhibition in Bu-

dapest, in honor of the 80th Birthday of Lajos

Tscheligi in September 1993. In the István Csók

Gallery there is an impressive section of the

artist on display. After Paris, Cannes, Zurich,

Basel, Amsterdam, London, Washington, Mi-

ami, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong

and many other cities in the world, he was ho-

nored in his hometown for a lifetime achieve-

ment award.

The development of his classic style

Initially, during the naturalistic phase, La-

jos Tscheligi painted portraits, coal miners,

scenes from the lives of farmers, crop ima-

ges, fishing and scenery of the Tisza region.

These were scenes and images of life, often

with a lot of movement. City scapes too,

which he brought alive with people. At one

point in this naturalistic period he could see

no further development. He had advanced

to the painting technique of the Renaissance,

in which the smallest element is worked out

in the finest detail. But he was no longer sa-

tisfied with what the picture expressed. He

felt that he had to make a radical change.

This was followed by phases of Pointillism,

Vibrationism, Post-Impressionist and Expres-

sionism.

Chain Bridge, Budapest.

1949, pastel on paper,

68x47 cm

His art

11

The liberation

In 1957 after the escape to Switzerland, he

freed himself from the pressure and restraint

of the need to paint in order to survive. De-

spite the experiences of war, crisis and cul-

ture shock, from then on he painted what he

really wanted. „As you know, naturalism is the

money maker of painting. Everyone likes their

own face and pays to have it painted. The ar-

tist then postpones what he would like to paint

only to realize it when he has a full belly. For me

there were two possibilities: either the people

understood my pictures and I could give plea-

sure, or I had to go hungry. I realized that I had

to endure, and this finding gave me a sense of

liberation.“

The trial and error of trying out different

techniques did not give him the desired out-

come and he began to engage in psycholo-

gy. This „raised the matter to the level of the

soul and the soul took possession of the color.“

Based on this knowledge he arranged to give

each color a new spiritual meaning. This pro-

cess was extremely fulfilling and satisfying to

him, and it was a whole new dimension of

knowledge and experience. „Of course I was

exposed to criticism, but if one wants to cut a

way through the jungle, one has to be prepa-

red that one could encounter a snake along

Longing of the Soul for Eternity. 1961, acrylic on cardboard, 48x38 cm

Technology. 1962,

acrylic on canvas, 46x88 cm

12

the way; you should not go this way otherwise

I shall bite you. “

Influenced by Rudolf Steiner and his phi-

losophy of aesthetics, he began to explore

artistically the possibilities of expression;

emotional, spiritual and artistic perception.

He tried new techniques experimenting

with colors and shapes that urged him with

an outward strength to internally bestow an

artistic language.

He turned to the infinite and tried to

represent the universe, „so that people un-

derstand that their body has a soul and their

soul a body. To keep the relationship between

people, I have tried to depict the soul and have

made my images so that the people are spared

the problem of looking blankly at my pictures.

When it relates to colors, then the colors will ac-

tually say something. From infinity we can reap

everything and create anything that is worthy.“

The Emergence of Self

Not only was Tscheligi’s presentation very

individual and unusual but also his painting

style. He had originally painted in pastel and

The Scientist. 1968,

acrylic on canvas, 100x60 cm

13

oil and now he used acrylic. He made use of

this material in a special, masterly manner.

At the same time he applied another color

shading on a color that made the first coat of

paint in some places shimmer through the

layers, which gave his pictures depth and so-

mething foreboding. One often sees in his

paintings delicate white spots, which softly

lead to different color elements in the picture,

making the composition appear transparent

and ethereal. Patterns also appear in solid co-

lor. In other places thick coats of paint with a

coarse surface reminds one of mountain ran-

ges. When he was addressed on this unusual

technology, which differed from other acrylic

artists, he said : „I have been using acrylic since

1957. On a smooth surface I apply the colors so

that they are embossed. This seems to make the

colors move. It results in two, three and four fold

shades. This background allows rays through

these waves and the colors seem to vibrate. I can

only achieve this effect with acrylic, because the

paint does not need more than 20 to 25 minutes

to dry, and you can then proceed with the work

immediately and apply the next color.”

In 1961 he painted three paintings for

an exhibition in Miami: the 3rd Piano Con-

certo by Béla Bartok,

Liszt ‚“Dreams of Love“

and the 5th Symphony

of Beethoven. These 3

x 2 meter images were

painted for the Deaf,

„because if you can write

about music, it must be

possible to hear the music

with your eyes.“ The mu-

sic, through the infinite

richness and diversity of

the color shades, can be

seen in the pictures.

„In another approach I

create six to seven layers.

Spiritual Realm. 1990, acrylic on canvas, 70x70 cm

14

I paint the background in the old style of pain-

ting, then the varnish. I increase the colors and

a kind of sheen is achieved - I need to represent

the body and soul. If I paint red beside grey and

then red again, it means that I separate two lo-

vers from one another, for example the grey

is the monotony of everyday life. The further I

move away from red the greater is the grey. If

I use a transparent color like blue on red and

produce a shadow, the red represents the body

and the blue the soul. A soulful connection is

created between the lovers .This is a possible

composite. Other patterns are created by the

varnish. Using movement, that is pressed into

the shape, the color, as it were, is an x-ray .”

I have been painting satellite images on

glass for about 25 years, not knowing that sa-

tellite images show the movement of the clouds

and the course of the weather. “

The three theses of the abstract

The developing style he called „meta-

physical abstract“ is explained in sim-

ple terms with „the invisible visible.”

In his paintings, there are three levels:

• the „abstract“, the non objective expression

• the „philosophical abstract „, the declara-

tion what he would do with his work and

• the „ metaphysical abstract „, which denotes

the radiance that is transferred to the viewer.

The human being has a physical body,

which is visible. But he also has invisible

emotions - feelings, thoughts, a soul and a

spirit. He tried with colors and forms to make

these areas more visible.

„The light and the transparency of the me-

taphysical painting is supposed to entice peo-

Present. 1975-80,

acrylic on cardboard, 30x43 cm

15

ple to connect with inner nature. They should

realize that the world does not reveal all sec-

rets. It is not like a realistically painted image

or a color photograph which shows the entire

image to the viewer immediately. „

His philosophy of colors

Tscheligi created his own color theory based

on his research, thoughts, feelings, and ex-

periments with compositions and their me-

aning: „The five fingers of the hand represent

the five colors. White is the beginning, black is

the end, but for me neither black or white is a

color. Blue symbolizes the infinite, the cosmos,

the mystical. Red is the color of love, the arti-

culation of life, but also the color of selfishness.

Yellow is the color of the sun. With these three

colors including black and white, I try to make

my images. I connect my first with my last fin-

ger, symbolizing the beginning and the end of

life: the birth white and death black. With white

the hour of our existence begins. At fifty we

reach the zenith - the blue. If I mix red with the

blue it creates purple; this color symbolizes the

greatest infatuation. Everything is outshined

by the sun - the yellow. If the person has the

appreciation and recognizes the importance of

the different shades, this opens up a wide va-

riety of possibilities and wonderful variations.

He knows what has been created and he is not

shaking his head blankly at my pictures unable

to grasp what I have done, rather he looks how

much red, blue and yellow there is and, in case

he does not understand already, the name of

the picture will help him to interpret the picture.

A feature of his pictures is the glow of the

yellow, orange and red, but also the power of

the different blue tones. Additionally he has

painted pictures wherein the vertical warm

colors pass over into the so-called cold shades

and the lower border ends up entirely in blue.

„The term „cold“ does not exist on my palette.

The green and blue tones are philosophical co-

Longing for the Highest. 1998, acrylic on cardboard, 47x47 cm

16

lors. They are not cold. The blue stands for mys-

tery, the green for hope; man hoping to reach his

goal of being happy. The hope for a happy future

lies in the composition of the two colors philoso-

phical meaning because it creates a connection

to the state of mind.”

The warm colors stood for Tscheligi as a

person: „Therefore if I have red and blue on a

picture next to each other, it symbolizes red the

body and blue the soul. If green appears as well,

that spotlights hope for the person that he may

reach what he is striving for.”

Pure blue expresses for him the top of the

spirit. „So the abstract philosophy and the meta-

physical abstract emerges. I thought very much

about that and when I found it I was surprised

that it was so simple. Why had I not come to the

idea to give every color its psychological me-

aning“?

The light and the radiance

The light and its radiance are dominating

elements in the pictures of the artist. He

had dealt with the various light phenome-

na already in the 1950’s. When asked about

this fascination he replied: „I love everything

about the sun; for me it is the life-giving power

par excellence. Therefore I regard the colors

on a third level tone. I illuminate a red, blue

or green and give it shadow and light. This

third step is the radiance. The red is a comple-

mentary color. If I enhance it, it becomes an

overwhelming color. If I give it shadow and

radiate it with light, then the red is not so over-

whelming. Just as I refine also the blue, as if it

were a precious stone that has been cleaned

of sand and dust and suddenly begins to shine

in the light. This is the basis of my art; this san-

dy stone must be cleaned to be able to shine in

all its glory.”

He found the radiance in St. Moritz. „In an

area so full of rays, that the snow dazzles and

everything sparkles and glitters.“ Here he rea-

lized that he had to use as much light as possi-

ble in his pictures and „that white is an auxiliary

Satisfying Light. 1980-85,

acrylic on cardboard, 60x50 cm

17

color and you can only use black when it is mixed

with blue or burgundy. For me there are no dead

colors. „

Many of the titles of his paintings re-

fer to brightness: „Power of light“, „Ray of

hope,“ „Body of light“. But his work deals

with the inner human radiance - “ the

mystery of the inner radiance“, hence the

name for a picture. What did he mean?

„Everyone has an aura and an inner radiance.

When someone has the gift that aura can then

in turn be transmitted to other people. The sculp-

tor, the painter, the artist must acquire the skill

to explain to people that this exchange is their

spiritual nourishment that they need - just like

plants need sunlight. In my paintings the power

of this knowledge lies in the use of color. „

Today. 1986, acrylic on cardboard, 110x90 cm

18

The importance of shape

A further component in Tscheligi’s work

is the picture design of softly flowing ab-

stract forms, like floating, hazy figures.

Often they are female figures, and occa-

sionally couples, men and women, facing

each other or moving towards each other.

Entire groups are either moving, remai-

ning close to each other or dancing. Such

a fusion of abstract and figurative display

painting is rare and unusual. How did he

come to this portrayal?

It is not easy to ab-

stract in a way so that

the connection to the

human being is main-

tained. „If I let people

appear in my pictures,

these are living beings

to focus on and not

to serve as a decorati-

on: a man alone is not

enough, it requires a

woman and then a third

party. The third is the

love or the child created

by the relationship. One

finds in my paintings

both female, as well as

male traits - soft and hard color streaks. These

expressions I use in the non-figurative painting

and connect the soft and hard forms to a unit.

This led me to bring mankind into abstraction

in the picture. The term „metaphysical abstrac-

tion“ emerged when I brought humans with his

individual soul characteristics into the forms

filled with colors, so that the rigid, closed forms

as it were dissolved. „

 

The artist wants to emphasize and high-

light the importance of hands in his pain-

tings „that what man creates, he is doing with

his hands, under the guidance of the brain.“

Positive Conquest (Mystery of Dance).

1965-70, acrylic on canvas,

75x57 cm

19

His handling of the materials

From his father he learned the manufac-

ture of paints, the proper preparation for

drawings, the handling of the brush and

how to trace different shapes and motifs

with the help of carbon dust.

Tscheligi was a do-it-yourselfer and

explorer of materials. He was looking for

transparency and the representation of

the light. His paintings and the characters

should reflect light. Pastels came to him

in this way. He learned a lot from Jenö

Maróti Major, whom he regarded as one

of the best pastel artists in Hungary.

In his youth he pre-

ferred to use chalk. For

20 years he worked with

pastels and was able to

immediately capture an

impression and in this

way could produce easy

and fast paintings. At that

time he developed a tech-

nique that enabled him to

create shadows, without

painting them. Since he

had very good knowledge

of materials, he prepared

Farm in Bélapàtfalva. 1948, pastel on paper, 68x47 cm

Private Concert. 1960-65,

oil chalks on cardboard,

20x27 cm

20

a fixative substance and then the carpenter

made the polish. The dark polish was dis-

solved in alcohol and then mixed with wa-

ter. He sprayed part of the picture. The area

sprayed became darker and had a transpa-

rent effect. These were the beginnings of

his transparency technique. His teacher was

amazed at the effect but the technique was

never revealed.

Other artists sprayed their pastel pic-

tures simply with the fixative substance

(shellac) and then put the pictures under

glass, or they pressed them between two

glass panes so that the chalk powder did

not come off. Tscheligi however, prepared

his paper with a kind of rock powder that

was as rough as sandpaper and this had

good adhesion. The professional world

marveled at this invention.

He also worked a long time with oil tem-

pera, which he produced with the addition

of linseed oil from a quark-lime mixture.

A mixture of lime and protein containing

curds developed a kind of casein glue,

through which the paint was bonded. Be-

cause of the durability of the oil tempera it

is used throughout the stained glass win-

dow process in the making of church win-

dows.

The artist as teacher

Lajos Tscheligi understood art not just for his

own fulfillment. He wanted the knowledge

and skill which he had acquired from his fa-

ther and his teachers to be accessible to the

younger generation. So he founded in 1959

in Chur a school for aspiring painters. At that

time in the small town there was no such in-

stitution where artists could be taught. The

school was open for twelve years and he was

able to pass on to his students his studio se-

crets. He taught them everything he knew,

from the primer of the canvas to the compi-

lation of the colors and the different painting

techniques. Especially in technical terms he

tried to help the people who were drawn to

painting. There were students from all walks

of life. He tried to convince them „that art

can lighten people‘s lives and bring color ma-

gically to the drabness of life.” He shared his

knowledge and made his world tangible to

others.

St. Moritz‘s studio-gallery The artist moved from the family home in

Chur to a village in the Engadine, where he

lived in a small painting studio. Surround-

ed by nature and especially the sparkling,

shining light of the valley, he could devote

himself to his inspiration: „I sit before the em-

21

Landscape in Engadine. 1978, oil and acrylic on cardboard, 47x38 cm

pty canvas in my little studio, which also serves

as a gallery, and consider what I should paint.

I determine the name of the picture first. It will

take one to two hours to crystallize my ideas.

I imagine two people, who initially only have

understanding for each other. Gradually out of

understanding comes love, and they wonder if

they might live together. And then comes from

the love something more ... So I meditate a

while. My pictures do not emerge by me preci-

pitating myself onto the canvas and struggling

with it like Don Quixote with the windmill, but

I fantasize and think of a story. I imagine that

is how the feelings of the two increases with

love. Dedication comes over me and I begin to

apply the colors. This gives me such inspiration

and creative energy that I feel like in a tran-

ce. Two people walking towards each other,

22

knowing that they want to be together. I try

with this spiritual connection to present these

delicate moments. I paint and paint until the

moment arrives and I can say now the picture

is done. In such meditative transcendental

state my pictures come into being. „

The critics and the acceptance in the professional world

One critic wrote in 1943 at Tscheligi’s

first exhibition in the Art Center of Buda-

pest Kossuth, where he showed for the first

time oil and watercolor landscapes to a lar-

ge audience, that the artist was profoundly

a real Hungarian. “You can hear the sound of

the water; feel the breath of the plain and all

the freshness that nature brings.“ These initial

reviews were good; the newspapers were

full of praise.

Tscheligi lived in the United States from

1964-1965. His pictures were shown there

again and again in different places. The most

important exhibition was in 1967 at the Mu-

seum of Modern Art held in Miami. In 1968

another interesting one was held in the Volta

Place Gallery in New York.

The professional world saw a researcher;

an artist with a quest. He had set up the

three theories of abstract art; he experimen-

ted and then created.

He was also accepted in Paris. In 1983 he

was awarded at the exhibition of the Salon

Church in St.Moritz. 1962, acrylic on cardboard, 50x40 cm

Blaze of light in Engadine. 1972-78, acrylic on canvas, 60x80 cm

23

de l‘Automne at the Grand Palais with the

„Baron Taylor Award, his sixth recognition

in France. He received first place honors for

his metaphysical abstract images. The juries

were of the opinion that these were unique

paintings.

In 1991 the artist and colleague Béla Tillés

wrote an article on Tscheligi: „All his work is

intended to cover the common recognition of

the cosmic and the dormant beauty within us,

as well as the joy that comes from this recog-

nition.“ Tscheligi had always been fascinated

in everything delicate and beautiful. For him

every person was beautiful, no matter how

they looked. There were no ugly people. „I

have the ability to find beauty even if other

people cannot see it. “ He always sought the

soul in people and things and painted not

only the surface, but also the inner beauty.

A journalist asked him once how be-

lievable were his pictures if they only had

beauty, love and harmony, but not the evil,

the imperfect, the chaos, the war and all the

bad that surrounds us. He said: „I have lived

through hell – it could not be worse. I have had

some terrible encounters. I saw so many horri-

ble things, slept among corpses, stood before

executions and my comrades have died before

my eyes. I painted a circle with the title: „After

The Past and the Future.

1994, acrylic on canvas,

60x60 cm

Reality in Spirituality. 1990-93, acrylic on canvas, 70x80 cm

24

Internal Extasy. 1996-98, acrylic on canvas, 60x60 cm

25

the nuclear war.“ But then I swore to myself that

I would never paint such pictures again.“ Later

in life he strived to give people joy. He kept a

part of this cycle called „The last soldiers“ but

he never wanted to see soldiers again.

In addition to the Association of Swiss ar-

tists, he was also a member of the Academy

of Arts of Rio de Janeiro Brazil. „I travel around

the world to see what others are doing. I always

have the desire to learn, to see plenty and to

soak in as much as possible and liken myself

to others. I have no other aim than to give ple-

asure with the talent that I have been given. I

paint how I want to paint and I feel a vocation

to paint. If I am accepted, I am pleased. If not I

shall still continue to paint. Many people are of

the opinion that the abstract art is a dead end.

In my opinion and in my understanding it is the

triumph of mind over matter.”

The last Soldiers. 1962, acrylic on cardboard, 50x40 cm

After Nuclear War. 1962, acrylic on cardboard, 49x34 cm

EXHIBITIONS

1943 Szalmazi Gallery, Budapest, Hungary

1958 Calanda Saal, Chur, Switzerland

Salon des Independants, Paris, France

1959 Hungary Gallery, Bern, Switzerland

1960 Rathhaus Saal, Vaduz, Lichtenstein

1961 Gallery Knöll, Basel, Switzerland

Sur Punt Gallery, St.Moritz, Switzerland

1963 Stellword Gallery, London, UK

Grand Palais, Paris, France

Martines Hotel, Cannes, France

1964 Gallery d Àrt Moderne, Chur,

Switzerland

Salon de Àutomne, Paris, France

1965 Potel-Bolden Gallery, Odense, Denmark

Bonfoy Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Kursaal, Arosa, Switzerland

1966 Sante-Landweer, Amsterdam,

Niederlande

Genteinde Haus, Arosa, Switzerland

1967 Aztek Museum, Tucson, Arizona, USA

High Plains Gallery, Amarillo, Texas, USA

Museum of Modern Art, Miami, Florida,

USA

1968 Bodor Gallery, Los Angeles, USA

Kursaal Bad Ragaz, Bad Ragaz, Switzerland

Volta Place Gallery, Washington, USA

1971 Gallery Quader, Chur, Switzerland

1973 Keller Gallery, Aarau, Switzerland

Salon des Independants, Paris, France

1974 Jate Club Gallery, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

1976 Museum of fi ne Arts, Lausanne,

Switzerland

1980 Parade Gallery, Zürich, Switzerland

1983 Gallery by Rathaus, Zug, Switzerland

1986 Culture Center Laudinella, St.Moritz,

Switzerland

1988 Huebeli Gallery, Langenthal, Switzerland

Creval Gallery, St.Moritz, Switzerland

1989 Gallery Devon Art, Hong Kong, China

Rathaus Gallery, Bad Ragaz, Switzerland

Old Church, Herkingen, Switzerland

1993 Csok Gallery, Budapest, Hungary

Szechenyi-kastely, Nagycenk, Hungary

1999 Kreuzspital Gallery, Chur, Switzerland

2004 Hotel „Kempinski“ St.Moritz, Switzerland

2006 Old Church, Herkingen, Switzerland

AWARDS

• Membre du Salon des Indépendants, Paris, depuis 1958

• XIV. Grand Prix International de Peinture de Deauville, Diplôme Offi ciel 1963

• XIV. Grand Prix International de Peinture de Paris, Grand Finaliste 1963

• Croix de Chevalier du «Dévouement Social» Paris

• Médaille d`Or du «Dévouement Social», Paris 1970

• Médaille d`Or «Baron Taylor», Paris 1983

• “Pro Cultura Hungarica” Commemorative plate for the signifi cant contribution to the national cultural heritage given by The Ministry of National Cultural Heritage

of the Republic of Hungary, Budapest 2003

Blue Sphere GmbH+41 79 433 47 69info@bluesphere.liwww.bluesphere.liwww.lajostscheligi.com