Vajda Lajos 1938 Indián Csónak, Széna Pasztell, Papír, 630x950 1938

"Indián Csónak," or "Indian Boat," was created in 1938 by the Hungarian artist Lajos Vajda using Széna pastel on paper. Vajda, a Jewish man living in increasingly hostile times, would tragically die only a few years later during WWII. Here, the artist references indigenous culture to navigate representations of identity. The boat seems to contain abstracted figures with their backs to the viewer, perhaps evoking a sense of forced removal or journey. The linear construction provides a sense of form, while also flattening perspective. The use of pastels gives the work a muted quality, hinting at the somber and melancholic undertones of displacement. Is this boat a symbol of refuge, or of an uncertain future? "Indian Boat" resonates with vulnerability and a sense of seeking sanctuary. It is a quiet meditation on cultural identity, resilience, and the human quest for belonging, created against a backdrop of impending catastrophe.