Dora Stork

Dora Stork was born in 1961, in a small Hungarian town, Bácsalmás, but grew up in a semi-Mediterranean ancient city, Pécs. Her life revolved around painting and art from a very young age. Dora was obsessed with the art of Tivadar Koszka Csontváry (1853-1919) whose works have been exhibited there permanently as he was also from Pécs. The secret of his brilliant colours is still unknown as he was mixing his paints as a result of his original profession as a pharmacist. This painter influenced her in many ways. She was both amazed by the virtuosity of him and frightened of his tragic life as an artist. By the fear of her, her career decisions may have been unconsciously influenced and caused that she gave up her dreams in her teenage years.


She wanted to be a graphic designer, but life turned out differently. Later, she went to a university in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union, where she studied economic cybernetics. She couldn’t split up with Arts entirely and was visiting museums regularly during the university years, too.


After graduation, she moved back to Hungary and worked as a software developer in Budapest in the military. Later she became an economic professional within the framework of postgraduate training. Since then, she has been the economic manager of medium and large companies.


After leaving the banking sector in 2006, she grabbed a brush and pencil in her hand again after she saw an encaustic art piece. Its brilliant colours, transparency, and the silky surface have drawn her attention to this technique.


In the beginning, she developed her skills with an art teacher in a local art circle. Then Dora studied the basics of Russian painting style under the guidance of an art teacher from St. Petersburg. Later she went to learn modern painting from a young downtown Hungarian art teacher. During this learning process, at home, she developed her encaustic technique and style by incorporating the knowledge and experience gained by learning aquarelle and acrylic painting in the studios. For now, she feels control over the wax better than other materials. At a point, Dora has developed her own recipe for encaustic paint as well by mixing pigments into beeswax and carnauba wax. The self-made wax medium makes the images physically more resistant to scratches. The wax medium has fascinating durability, the colours do not fade over time and they retain their vividness while the surface never cracks.


Dora has become a member of local art organisations: ÚMT (Újpesti Művészek Társasága - Újpest Artist Society) in 2009 and OKIT (Országos Képző- és Iparművészeti Társaság - National Society for Fine and Applied Arts) in 2010. Dora is an active, awarded member of her communities and regularly takes part in their group exhibitions every year.

2015-2017 Downtown Drawing School, Budapest, Art teacher Lilla Benkő
2009-2014 Art Studio, Russian Cultural Center, Budapest, Art teacher Zsanna Petro
2007-2010 Leonardo da Vinci Artist Circle, Budapest, Art teacher Hajnalka Szarka


Awards:
1st place in "Quarantine Competition" - Jancso Gallery, Budapest, Hungary, 2020
Award-winning work - Újpest Artist Society, Budapest, Hungary, 2017
Award-winning work - National Society of Fine and Applied Arts, Budapest, Hungary, 2017

Member of the Following Organizations:
National Society of Fine and Applied Arts, Joined 2010.
Újpest Artist Society, Joined 2009.

22 January 2021 - 13 February 2021
Group Exhibition, “Winter exhibition 2020”
Újpest Gallery
66 Árpád u, Budapest, 1043, Hungary

16 January 2021-15 February 2021
Group Exhibition
Secret Gallery (Titok Galéria)
12 Ó u., Budapest, 1066, Hungary

Selected Exhibitions:

2020 - Group Exhibition, "I stayed home", Újpest Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2019 - Group Exhibition, „Pro-Patria”, Mór Jókai Library, Pápa, Hungary
2018 - Group Exhibition, „Golden Pictures”, Mór Jókai Library, Pápa, Hungary
2017 - Group Exhibition, „Suburb in the city center”, K11 Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2016 - Group Exhibition , „Colors and Moods", Újpest Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2015 - Group Exhibition, Cultural Centre, Kiskunfélegyháza, Hungary
2014 - Group Exhibition, „Art without borders”, Teleki Hungarian Cultural Centre, Nagybánya, Romania
2014 - Group Exhibition, Cultural Centre, Kiskunfélegyháza, Hungary
2013 - Group Exhibition, „Still life”, Újpest Cultural Center-Youth House Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2012 - Solo Exhibition, Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library, Újpest, Budapest, Hungary
2011 - Group Exhibition , Újpest Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2010 - Group Exhibition, Balatoni Museum, Keszthely, Hungary
2010- Group Exhibition, Russian Cultural Centre, Budapest. Hungary
2009 - Group Exhibition ," Winter exhibition", Újpest Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2009 - Solo Exhibition, Community Centre, Mátraalmás, Hungary
2008 - Group Exhibition, AULART, School Gallery, Budapest, Hungary