Interview with Tibor Simon-Mazula

Hungarian-born artist Tibor Simon-Mazula works intuitively, taking refuge in the physical and tactile aspects of painting. He draws upon his background in mathematics, filmmaking, and cinematography to create dream-like scenes. His oil paintings incorporate materials such as bone ash, marble dust, and alum.

How would you describe yourself and your artwork?

I excitedly look to reveal human emotions, relationships, motivations beyond what lies visible on the surface. My Paintings depict everyday situations, and many different inner snippets of time, and my recent body of work ‘Closeness’ reacts to the strong impact of lockdowns and the rapidly evolving technology on the multilayered nature of perceiving reality. 

As a continuation of my earlier series, new paintings still focus on human actions and notions such as engagement, awakening and remembering. They are unique for in their exploration of how contemporary painting can pursue the tradition of both figurative and abstract painting, while simultaneously blending with new visual ideas (such as offbeat points of view, and unusual use of conventional materials like volcano-ash, marble dust, bone ash and alum). Because I lived (studied, worked, and exhibited) in Northern California for seven years, it is exciting in attitude and visual approach, how Central European roots in conversation with the influence of figurative art movement of the Bay Area. As a North California art writer (DCVR) recently suggested:” There is nothing quite common in Tibor’s exceptional exploration of what he calls common reality”.

How do you go about beginning a new piece? Do you have an idea already in mind, or do you start working with materials or sketches to find the departure point?

In the beginning, I love to create charcoal sketches, but I also use photo collages. Sometimes it happens that I start an image expressively and the visual idea gets into shape right on the big canvas. I see easel painting with a brush, working from sketches, or making designs with a computer as an educated and fine way of artmaking. These techniques are important for me, but what I really love is when I am painting on the floor, go around the image and I use my fingers to spread around the paint on the canvas. This powerful, passionate act directly connected with my medium is the essence of creativity for me.

When do you think your most prolific time of day or week is?

From this point of view, time does not really matter to me, but I recognized recently that my most creative and active period is late afternoon and nights.

What is a barrier you as an artist overcame? Is there anything that enabled you to develop your work as an artist in your life?

Diana and I moved many times in the last 15 years. We lived on three different continents, and I cannot even count the number of apartments we had. Both, losing close connections and establishing a new place to work are obstacles which I must overcome to continue painting. Despite it is always hard to start over, change enriches my art and teaches me to stay true to it. 

Did you have an idea of what you wanted to create right from the beginning?

I already have a vision in my head of what to paint before I start a new piece, however, my process is not linear at all, and many times new ideas are born during the action of painting. While I am working, irregular experiences could change the image drastically. Like for everyone else, various effects from the environment, emotional impacts find me continuously, and many thoughts run through my mind every minute. My head is full of different ideas most of the time, and I strive to catch, understand, sort, and communicate them. When I paint, I am open but am also focused, feeling that I am doing something new in an unknown territory.

What is the meaning or creative inspiration for your work? We’re curious what the narrative or story is to what you are producing?

I am inspired by people to whom I am closely connected with, physical spaces where I occupied, and situations that I was in. Through painting, I want to talk to any other human being and say something meaningful about our life and relations to others and to our environment. Human figures, living spaces and simple objects portrayed in a large scale, with mud -like, thick paint are shrill reminders of fragility, weight, and beauty of our existence.

Besides your artworks, are there any other things in life that your voice as an artist may consider vital or valuable? What makes you joyful and creative, in other words?

Oil painting is my primary medium and I am gladly spending most of my time in the studio. However, I make independent short films occasionally when I meet the right people.

8)Are there any exhibitions or places where people can see these beautiful creations in person soon? Anything on the horizon?

There are two solo exhibitions scheduled for next year. Beginning of 2023 in Tainan, Taiwan at Hann Art Gallery, and the end of the year at Lavor Collective, Budapest, Hungary. 

Website www.tiborsimon.com