Tamás Hencze

Born in 1938 in Szekszárd, Hungary, Tamás Hencze moved to Paris in the early 1960s, where he became familiar with abstract art. During this period, he made gestural paintings and conceptual and op-art works. Tamás Hencze was always interested in the relationships between black, white, and geometric shapes. In the 1970s he made paintings overlaid with thick horizontal and perpendicular lines.

His works have been shown in Budapest ( Österreichisch Kulturforum 2012, Art Hall Budapest 1997); Tokyo (Gallery MM 1993); Lienz, Austria (Galerie Synthese); and Vienna (Galerie Bewag Foundation 1990). Tamás Hencze’s work has been also exhibited in numerous group shows in Hungary and abroad: in Stuttgart, Germany (2008); at the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume in Paris (2000); Contemporary Art Center, Vilnius (1996); Museum Moderner Kunst, Vienna (1994); and Seoul Arts Center (1991). In 2004, he received the prestigious Kossuth Prize from the Government of the Republic of Hungary. In 1989, he became a Merited Artist of the Republic of Hungary.

His works can be found in the collection of Ludwig Museum in Budapest; the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest; Graphic Arts Collection of the Albertina, Vienna; National Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul; and Lentos, Kunstmuseum in Linz, Austria among others. Tamás Hencze died in 2018 in Budapest.