Here, we ask an artist to frame the essential details behind one of their latest works.
Bio: Szabolcs Bozó, 31, London (@szabolcs_bozo).
Title of work: Cold, Cold Feeling (Hideg Érzés), 2024.
Where to see it: “Tüke” at Almine Rech (361 Broadway, New York) until August 2.
Three words to describe it: Cold, cold feeling.
What was on your mind at the time: This work was made after quite a destructive process. I had destroyed several works prior to this and when I began painting this work I finally felt the positive feeling that this was the direction the show needed to go in.
An interesting feature that’s not immediately noticeable: Both this work and Owner of Night (Az Éjszaka Tulajdonosa) feature an umbrella that has been blown inside out. If you look closely at the umbrella, you’ll see hidden flowers, which haven’t featured in my work before this exhibition.
How it reflects your practice as a whole: The characters in my works have always been inspired by the Hungarian folklore I grew up with, from animations and books to the inspiration from my maternal and paternal grandmothers. In this work (and the rest of the works in “Tüke”), the characters have become more human-like with human features such as hands and feet, highlighting the overlap present in everyday life between what’s real and what’s fantasy and ultimately how sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between the two.
One song that captures its essence: “Cold, Cold Feeling” by Albert Collins.
Portrait photography by Csongor Bozó.
