Endre Nemes

Endre Nemes was born in Pécsvárad in Hungary in 1909. He started his studies in Budapest but went to Vienna for studies in philosophy. After this he went to Slovakia and wrote for some Slovakian newspapers. Under the period between the wars Prague was an important scene for art and Endre Nemes went there to study at the academy of fine arts. It was here Endre Nemes decided to become an artist. During the Second World War he fled to Sweden where he soon joined the new surrealistic group Minotaur to which Max Walter Svanberg, CO Hultén and Anders Österlin belonged. In 1947 Endre Nemes became professor at Valand’s school of fine arts in Gothenburg. Moved to Stockholm in 50's. Died in Stockholm 1985.

1909 Born in Pécsvárad, southern Hungary. Family name Nágel. Until 1924 lives in Spisská Nová Ves, Czechoslovakia.

1924 completes higher studies at the Slovak ´gymnasium´ and moves to his father in Hungary.

1927 Completes higher studies in Budapest. Goes to Vienna to study philosophy, but returns to Slovakia after a few months.

1928 Adopts Nemes as his professional name. Starts to write. Literary debut a volume of poems. Journalist on Kassai Ujság in Kosice.

1928-1920 Active as cartoonist in Prague.

1930-1935 Studies at Academy of Fine Arts in Prague with Professor Willy Nowak.

1930-1932 Participates in Prague’s Sezession exhibitions.

1932-1934 Art critic for the Hungarian daily newspaper Magyar Ujság in Prague.

1933 Travels to Paris on stipend, together with Jacub Bauernfreund.

1936 His first exhibition, at Galeri Dr. Feigl in Prague, together with Jacub Bauernfreund. His paintings, “The Music Lesson”, purchased by Friends of the Modern Museum, Prague. Elected member of artists´ association Umelecká Beseda in Prague.

1938 Emigrates in the autumn to Finland.

1939 In the spring invited to teach at the Free School of Painting in Helsinki. Cartoonist for Suomen Sosialdemokraatti. Participates in two Finnish collective exhibitions at Konsthallen in Helsinki. One-man show of graphic art at Kunstnerforbundet in Oslo.

1940 Exiled from Finland in February and obtains temporary residence permit from Sweden. As a result of efforts by Norwegian artists he is granted right of asylum in Norway. Arrives in Norway six days before the German invasion. Enlists in Norwegian army. Escapes to Sweden after cessation of Norwegian military resistance in central Norway. Interned at Loka Brunn. Then establishes residence in Stockholm. Returns to painting again after a two-year intermission.

1941 One-man show in Mässhallen, Stockholm and SDS-hallen, Malmö. The collector Herman Gotthardt of Simrishamn takes an interest in Nemes and purchases some fifteen of his works, including “The Baroque Chair” and “The Baroque Architect”.

1943 “The Minotaur Group” exhibits at Malmö Town Hall. In addition to Nemes, the group (which was soon dissolved) was composed of Max Walter Svanberg, C.O. Hultén, Adja Yunkers.

1943-1944 Helps to establish “Displaced Artists”. The Swedish State Forest Industries gave them the use of a wooden shed in Stockholm, just opposite the Royal Dramatic Theatre. Three controversial exhibits of refugee artists’ works held there. The first exhibition opens under patronage of Prince Eugen, Stenmans Dotter, Stockholm.

1945 Marries Hélène Exemplaroff. One-man show at Tokanten in Copenhagen. Participates in exhibition “Young Art International” at Östgöta Nation in Uppsala. Among the artists exhibited were Lennart Rodhe, Lage Lindell, Egon Möller-Nielsen et al. Travels to Prague.

1947 One-man show at Färg och Form in Stockholm. One of founders of cultural magazine “Prisma”, along with Eric Grate, Eric Lindegren and Egon Möller-Nielsen. Appointed director and teacher at Gothenburg’s Museum School of Drawing and Painting, now known as Valand’s Konsthögskola. Begins reorganization of teaching programme. A daughter, Catherine, born.

1948 Acquires Swedish citizenship. One-man show at Konsthallen in Gothenburg.

1949 Stage design and costumes for Antony Tudor’s ballet “Gala Performance” at the Royal Opera, Stockholm. Experiments with industrially produced enamel as an artists medium begun at Gustavsberg together with Egon Möller-Nielsen and Stig Lindberg. Executes the zodiac clock in Västertorp, Sweden’s first monumental work in enamel. (Enamel 400x400cm) Architects: Grönwall and Várhelyi.

1951 Travels to Spain. One-man show at Konsthallen, Gothenburg; Färg och Form, Stockholm.

1951-1952 Paints ceiling in stucco lustro technique in Hotel Lysekil (170 sq.m.). Architects: Nils Sterner and Sture Frölén.

1953 Travels to Italy.

1953-1955 Marble intarsia at Axel Dahlströms Square in Högsbotorp, Gothenburg. (820x840 cm). Architect Jan Wallinder.

1954 Helps found artists’ association “Group 54” in Gothenburg.

1955 Finishes his term as director and teacher at Valands Konstskola. The book “Nemes”, is published by his friends, edited by Acke Oldenburg. Façade frieze, Eriksdals school, Skövde. Enamel (150x1400 cm). Architect: Hans-Erland Heineman.

1956 “Insects and vegetative forms of life”, oil on canvas (250x675 cm), Gothenburg Student Union, Gothenburg. Moved to the University of Gothenburg 1985. Returns to Stockholm and begins painting again fulltime.

1957-1958 Stucco lustro at Härryda School, Härryda, (140x750 cm). Architect: Lennart Kvarnström. 6 enamel paintings for the prison at Skogome. Architect: Lennart Kvarnström.

1958 One-man show at Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and at Konsthallen in Gothenburg.

1959 Invited to exhibit at Doumenta II in Cassel which produced heated protests in Swedish artist circles and at Kunsternes Hus in Oslo. One-man show at Galerie Charles Lienhard, Zürich; Kunstverein, Freiburg.

1960 Enamel facade of Community Centre in Starrkärr near Gothenburg (590x290 cm). Architect: Lennart Kvarnström, Hélène Nemes dies. Decor and costumes for Adam’s operetta “King for a Day”, Stora Teatern, Gothenburg.

1961 Iron Gate for a private home in Gothenburg. Wrought iron (600x300cm). Façade frieze, Söderområdet, Örebro. Enamel (210x1400 cm). Architect: Jan Wallinder. Stockholms Sparbank, Hötorgscity, Stockholm. Enamel (250x500 cm). Architect: Anders Tengbom. Restaurant Aniara, Stockholm. Enamel 120x360 cm. Architect: Heinz Glaser.

1962 One-man show at Konstnärshuset, Stockholm.

1963 Retrospective exhibition Jakub Bauernfreund – Endre Nemes at Národni Galerie in Prague in its series, the art of the 1930’s. Marries ceramist Britt-Louise Sundell. Travels to Greece. Retrospective exhibition at Konsthallen in Lund, Konsthallen in Gothenburg and Norrköping’s museum.

1964 Enamel for the main office of AB Kjessler and Mannerstråle, Stockholm. Enamel (260x360).

1965 Receives Swedish government’s grand stipend. Awarded Swedish government’s annual remuneration for artists. A daughter, Lena, born. One-man show at Konstnärshuset, Stockholm; Jönköpings läns museum, Jönköping; Drian Galleries, London.
Bostadsbolaget’s building, Gothenburg. Stucco lustro (250 cm h.x350 cm in diameter). Architect: Lennart Kvarnström.

1966 Retrospective exhibition at Mánes, Prague, at D’um Uméni in Brno and Slovenska Národná Galeria in Brattislava. Travels to Prague and Bratislava. “Pages from a diary”, Psychiatric clinic, Norrköping. Stucco lustro 246x485 cm. Architect: Hakon Ahlberg.

1967 “Metaphysical Caryatides”, Gothenburg Student Union, Gothenburg. Acrylics on canvas (543x859 cm) Architect: Lennart Kvarnström. One-man show at Galerie Aronsowitsch, Stockholm; Hallands museum Halmstad; Konsthallen, Uppsala.

1968 Honourable mention at 6th International Biennal Exhibition of Prints in Tokyo. Accorded title of professor. Travels to U.S.A. and Canada. One-man show in Montreal.

1969 One-man show at Amos Andersons Konstmuseum, Helsinki, at Kunsternes Hus, Oslo, at Lyngby Town Hall, at Galeri Prisma, Copenhagen and at Konsthallen, Lund. Retrospective traveling exhibition nr 113 Riksutställningar.

1970 Participates for the first time in Hungary in a collective exhibition at Mücsarnok, Budapest. Travels to Budapest.

1971 Seven (7) paintings for the foyer of the parliament Hotel commissioned by the Swedish Arts Council. Architects: Malmqvist and Skoogh. These paintings were moved to the Parliament Buildings in 1983. Exhibits at Valdstejnská Jizdárna, Národni Galerie in Prague, at Galerie Ostrava in Ostrava and at Slovenská Národná Galeria in Bratislava together with Eric Grate.

1972 One-man show at The Tel Aviv Museum, Rubinstein Pavillion. Awardes gold medal of the Second International Norwegian Biennal of Graphic Arts, Fredrikstad. Film for the Swedish television by Gunnel Broström and Inger Åby. Retrospective exhibition at Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm.

1973 Retrospective exhibition at Göteborgs Konstmuseum and Konsthall, Västerås Konstmuseum. One-man show at Szépmüvészeti Múseum, Budapest.

1974 Retrospective exhibition at Museum Bochum, West Germany. Started to work with tapestries. Collaboration with Edna Martin and the workshop of “Handarbetets vänner”, Stockholm, going on until 1978.

1975 The new Art Museum at Borås opens with a retrospective exhibition of endre Nemes. “The Encounter of the Times”, Konsum Stockholm. Tapestry (320-300 cm). Made at “Handarbetets Vänner”, Stockholm under the direction of Edna Martin. One-man show Kalmar Museum.

1976 The workshop of “Handarbetets Vänner” finishes a large tapestry, triptych “Window in Norrbotten”, (200x700, 300x275, 330x275 cm), Luleå County Council. Architect: Göte Lundström. Travels to Prague to visit his professor Willy Nowak having his 90th birthday and participates in the exhibition Wilém Nowak a Jeho Skola, Národni Galerie, Prague.

1977 The tapestry “Pages from a picture book”, (290x1435 cm), is finished for the East Hospital, Gothenburg. Architect: Olle Weisbach.

1978 In January the new clinique East Hospital, Gothenburg is opened. “Pages from a picture book” is placed in the foyer. In the press was an embittered debate going on about this. The tapestry was made at Stockholm at “Handarbetets Vänner” under the direction of Edna Martin. One-man show at Paviljon Cvijeta Zuzoric, Belgrad. Art 9’78, Basel.

1979 Retrospective exhibition at Konstakademien, Stockholm; Göteborgs Konstuseum; Malmö Konsthall.

1980 The travelling exhibition continues to Norway, Bergens Kunstforening; Galleri F 15 Moss; Stavanger Kunstforening; Trondhjems Kunstforening. To Denmark, Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum Ålborg. To Iceland, Nordens Hus, Reykjavik. Receives the Prins Eugens-medal, for prominent artistic work. Film portrait for the Swedish television by Bengt Åke Kimbré.

1981 Travels together with Louise Robbert from Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm and Håkan Wettre from Göteborgs Konstmuseum to Budapest and Pécs in order to finish the negotiations about the large exhibition of Hungarian art 1905-1980, which later was shown in Stockholm at Liljevalchs Konsthall, at Göteborgs Konstmuseum and 1982 at Malmö Konsthall.

1982 Receives the Henrik-Steffens-Preis for 1982 through Christian-Albrechts-Universität at Lübeck. “Elegy to Stockholm”, (440x450 cm) tapestry for Museum Bochum, West Germany. Architects: Bo/Wohlert, Copenhagen. The tapestry was made in the tapestry workshop in Jindrichuv Hradec, Czechoslovakia, under the direction of Josef Müller. Retrospective exhibition at the Nemzeti Galéria, Budapest, the Hungarian television makes a film of it, which is supplemented in Sweden with the monumental works of Endre Nemes. The film was made by Zsuzsa Fehér. The retrospective exhibition continues at Pésci Galéria, Pécs, Hungary and Národni Galerie, Prague. Donates to the Hungarian People’s Republic a representative collection of his own works.

1983 One-man show of the latest years work at the Västerås Konstmuseum. Doctor of philosophy honoris causa at the University of Gothenburg. Endre Nemes Museum is opened at Pécs. Receives the Janus Pannonius medal in Pécs, Hungary.

1982-1984 Finishes “Triptych”, Första Sparbanken in Stockholm. 3 tapestries (330x690, 330x540, 330x540 cm). The tapestries were made in the tapestry workshop at Jindrichuv Hradec, Czechoslovakia, under the direction of Josef Müller.

1984 2 glass windows for the Endre Nemes Museum, Pécs, Hungary. (230x130 cm). The windows were made by György Buczkó and Ádám, Kéri, Budapest.

1985 Two tapestries for Volvo’s headoffice at Torslanda, Gothenburg, executed at Jindrichuv Hradec, Czechoslovakia. (240x320, 240x384 cm), under the direction of Josef Müller. Architects: Romaldo Giurgola, Owe Svärd, Darp Sageser, Mark Markiewicz, Gerhard Goehle, Gothenburg.

1991 Solo-show at Galerie Bel'Art, Stockholm, Collages.
1995 Solo-show at Galerie Bel'Art, Stockholm, Paintings 1956 - 1960.
2000 Solo-show at Galerie Bel'Art, Stockholm, The early years - works 1933 - 1948, catalogue
2009 Solo-show at Galerie Bel'Art, Stockholm, Hommage à Endre Nemes, catalogue
2016 Solo-show at Galerie Bel'Art, Stockholm, Paintings 1958