The surreal works of a Hungarian artist are the feature of the first in a series of exhibitions in Norwich forging links between eastern Europe and the east of England.
Fairhurst Gallery, in Bedford Street, plans to present the exhibitions - part of an initiative called East to East - with the first art show opening to the public tomorrow.
Called Masks, Mysteries and Other Worldly Pleasures, it is Budapest artist Máté Orr's debut solo exhibition outside of Hungary.
Dulcie and Tom Humphrey, owners of the Fairhurst Gallery, said: 'We are hugely excited, and honoured to be hosting the inaugural East to East exhibition from Máté Orr. Máté's work is exceptional, inspirational and immensely skilful. The aim is to create an artistic bridge between the East of England and Eastern Europe in the belief that closer cultural ties will bring people together, foster a better mutual understanding between countries and bring the art of emerging artists to wider international audiences.'
Mr Orr's work is described as disrupting the boundaries between reality and fiction, the natural and the man-made, the past and the present, and the classical and the contemporary.
He said a medieval painting he first saw in the National Gallery in London - called The Wilton Diptych - has been among his key inspirations.
He added: 'I am equally excited by our own century where ideas are suggested to me from a wide range of sources. These may be, on the one hand, contemporary cinema and modern graphic design and, on the other, from the exploration of space to the products lining the shelves of the local supermarket. I remain fascinated by the transitory nature of life itself, by the fragility of the relationship between man and the natural world.'
Mr Orr's work has been shown in many group and solo shows throughout Hungary and at art fairs in Beijing, Monaco and Budapest.
His work has also attracted the interest of collectors in countries around the world, including Finland, India, America and the UK.
Masks, Mysteries and Other Worldly Pleasures opens at the Fairhurst Gallery, in Bedford Street, Norwich, on Saturday, April 22 and runs until Saturday, June 10. For more information about the gallery and its latest exhibition, visit www.fairhurstgallery.co.uk
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