Vajda Lajos Kezek 

Curator: Up next we have "Kezek" which translates to "Hands", by Lajos Vajda. What's grabbing your attention right away? Editor: I'm immediately drawn to the stark simplicity, you know? Those bold lines... They make the whole image seem almost ghostly, like it’s a half-formed memory or a symbol waiting to be deciphered. It looks very raw, very direct. Curator: Absolutely. I think this starkness is intentional, an artist who was working during a difficult period. It is executed in ink. I find Vajda focuses intently on geometric form and line work here to produce a work which transcends pure abstraction. Editor: I am curious what kinds of paper and ink he had access to... there's something almost rebellious in choosing to work with humble materials like this. What do you think of that as a choice considering what was likely happening around him? Curator: Interesting point! It makes me consider his creative decisions as deliberate acts of resistance. Maybe there wasn't much access, but even if he had the means to be extravagant it wasn't the right time for that. The cross cutting lines could signify the many paths forward or none at all. The incompleteness. There's also the recurring theme in Vajda's oeuvre: reoccurring symbols that explore ideas of double exposure, reflections...it makes me think the drawing might hint to Vajda seeing multiple paths at once and showing how complicated any journey forward might be. Editor: Definitely resonates. Makes you think about the act of drawing, or making any art, really, under oppressive conditions, doesn't it? Curator: Exactly. Editor: So, after giving "Kezek" a little more thought, I am getting the feeling there is a strength underlying this vulnerability, something enduring about the human touch represented by the starkness.