I consider myself as an abstract realist encaustic artist. Occasionally, I paint with acrylic as well for my pleasure, but I’ve chosen the ancient technique of wax painting as my primary mode of expression. It has fascinating durability, the colours do not fade over time, they retain their vividness, and the surface never cracks. The self-made wax medium makes the images more physically resistant to scratches. I do not use oil or other paints when creating my encaustics

In recent years, I have been using OSB as a base. By scraping back the layers of paint I use the texture of the veneer as part of my compositions to create a unique rustic industrial atmosphere.

I declare myself as a politically-minded painter being interested in public life and social and economic processes. I present my particular vision in those works. I take a deeply personal approach and stay away from official narratives. The dreamlike compositions are my intuitive reflections on public issues. At the same time, seemingly astonishing, strange circumstances, and inappropriate details on a rational sphere might evoke questions in the viewer.

This attitude of mine which acknowledges the importance of comprehending and sensing motivates me even in case of my works about architecture and nature. I show the details instead of the whole, sort of inviting the viewer to embrace and understand their surroundings.

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 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 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. And at a point, Dora has developed her own recipe for encaustic paint as well.

She 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.

Curriculum Vitae

Education:
_{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}


Selected Exhibitions:

_{2022 - Group Exhibition ," Winter exhibition", Újpest Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2022 - Group Exhibition „Innovart’22”, Jancsó Art Gallery, Budapest
2022 – Borders Art Fair, Kelso, Scotland
2021 - Group Exhibition, Secret Gallery (Titok Galéria), Budapest, Hungary
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}

Awards:
_{2021 - Certificate Luxembourg Art Prize
2020 - 1st place in  "Quarantine Competition" - Jancso Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2017 - Award-winning work - Újpest Artist Society, Budapest, Hungary
2017 - Award-winning work - National Society of Fine and Applied Arts, Budapest, Hungary}


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