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Imre Bak (Budapest 1939) studied at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts. He belongs to the so-called IPARTERV generation, the first manifestation of an independent Hungarian neo-avantgarde, and was a member of the influential artist group Zuglói Kör, which was - in terms of color - still oriented to Impressionism, but formally to Cubism. The artist was also strongly influenced by the Hard Edge and Color Field Painting movements, above all by the works of Frank Stella and Ellsworth Kelly. With few exceptions, Imre Bak devoted his entire artistic œuvre to geometric abstraction: while basic geometric forms and strong colors initially dominated his pictorial compositions, in the 1980s his work underwent a formal turn towards a stronger narrative and the inclusion of elements from Art Nouveau, Baroque and traditional folk art. The 1990s brought a turn towards design, spatial illusions, and postmodern architectural elements. More recent works show a wealth of hidden art historical references alongside a focus on horizontal and vertical lines. Imre Bak participated in the Venice Biennale in 1986. He was awarded the Kossuth Prize and the Prima Primissima Prize for Hungarian Art, among others, for his work. The artist is an honorary member of the Academy of Arts and Literature in Budapest and has vastly exhibited internationally in renowned museums. His works are in numerous collections, such as Tate Modern London, Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin or Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig (MUMOK) Vienna.
