"Summer in Rákoczi Square, Budapest" Painting

Born in Kenya and raised in Zambia, Mike Wallace is a Brit- Irish-Hungarian artist living and working in Budapest. His paintings are shaped by the light and colours of Southern Central Africa. Mike's work focuses on the overlooked realities of place—places that exist beyond postcard images and tourist narratives: the gritty streets of Budapest, old shops, expansive Hungarian landscapes, and scenes from both urban and rural Zambia. Working in oils, he explores the relationship between light, memory, and solitude. His highly detailed paintings seek to capture not only the physical appearance of a place but also its atmosphere and identity. They document environments and ways of life that are often overlooked, neglected, or undergoing transformation and soon to disappear. "The light and colours of my Zambian childhood permeate through my paintings of Budapest and the Hungarian landscape."