Réka Ritt Laklia

Born 1978 Budapest, Hungary

Education

2021	newplatform.art Professional Development Programme in association with Parker Harris.
2013-16	BA (Hons) Fine Art, Chelsea College of Art and Design, University of the Arts London.
2012-13	Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London.
2011-16	Clarendon Studios, Fine Art Private Education and Mentoring, London.
1996-01	Doctorate in Law and Political Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.

Exhibitions and Prizes

2024	Macfarlanes Art Prize, London, UK.
	Works On Paper, The Gallery at Green and Stone, London, UK.
	Winter Group Show, Linden Hall Studio, Deal, Kent.
2023	Art Gemini Prize, 1st Prize Painting, Zari Gallery, London, UK.
	Medicine Festival, Wasing, UK.
	10x10 ArtCan Anniversary, Hansard Studio, London, UK.
	A Glorious Journey, group exhibition, Gallery Different, London, UK.
	Winter Group Show, Linden Hall Studio, Deal, Kent, UK.
2022	Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London.
	Elevate 04, group exhibition, The Shard, London.
	Collaborations, Goodnestone Park and Linden Hall Studio, Kent, UK.
	Stories 02, group exhibition, The News Building, London.
	Expanded Painting, AIR Gallery, group exhibition, Altrincham, UK.
	GoldBlink Short Film Awards, Honorable Mention, Best Micro Film.
	Inspirational Women Artists, God's House Tower arts and heritage space, Southampton, UK.
	Scarab Short Film Festival, Best Micro-Short Film, Dubai.
	Human Gold, group exhibition, Thoresby Gallery, Newark, UK.
	Walking With Artists Through Land And Sea, group exhibition, Leabrooks Art Complex Gallery, Alfreton, Derbyshire, UK.
	Winter Group Show, Linden Hall Studio, Deal, Kent, UK.
2021	Folklore and Traditions, LoosenArt, group exhibition, Rome, Italy.
	MicroActs9, program of short films curated by Liberty Antonia Sadler, Hotel Elephant, London.
	Winter Group Show, Linden Hall Studio, Deal, Kent.
	Alternatív Textil, group exhibition, MKISZ-Association of Hungarian Artists, Budapest
2020	Inner World, group exhibition, Boomer Gallery, London.
	Premier London and HOPE Exhibition 2020, organised by (IAL) International Artists Link Org, online.
	Bath Society of Artists Open Exhibition, Victoria Art Gallery, Bath, Online on the gallerys' website (due to covid-19).
	Fusion Art 5th Anniversary International Online Juried Art Exhibition, Palm Springs, United States, Online on the gallerys' website (due to covid-19).
2019	3rd International Alternative Textile Symposion, residency, Somogytur, Hungary.
	Born to Loop, group exhibition, Mary Magdalene Church Tower, Buda Castle, Budapest.
	Very Contemporary Tapestry, B32 Gallery and Cultural Space, Budapest.
	Fresh Harvest, Karolyi Stately Home of Fehervarcsurgo, Hungary.
	Contemporary Landscape, group exhibition, 508 Gallery, London.
2017	Second Draft, group exhibition, Safehouse 2, London.
	Gebilde Painters, group exhibition, 5th Base Gallery, London.
2016	Let the Dust Settle, group exhibition, Crypt Gallery, London.
	Chelsea Undergraduate Summer Show 2016, London.
	Draft, group exhibition, Safehouse 2, London.
	ArtGemini Prize, Asia House Gallery, London.
	Bare Home, solo exhibition, London.
2015	National Open Art Competition shortlisted.
	Art Gemini Prize, Menier Gallery, London.
	ART PRIZE CBM, Casa Toesca and Villa Vallero, Rivarolo Canavese, Italy.
	Griffin Gallery Open, London.
	White Spirits, group exhibition, Safehouse 1, London.
	Undercover, solo exhibition, Clarendon Studios, London.
	Summer Mixed Exhibition, Gorstella Gallery, Chester.
2014	ArtGemini Prize, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London.
	Crash Open Salon, Charlie Dutton Gallery, London.
2013	National Open Art Competition shortlisted.
	SouthWestFest Art Competition 2nd Prize.
	Wells Art Contemporary 2013, Wells and Mendip Museum.
	Cork Street Open Exhibition, Cork Street Gallery, London.
	Creekside Open 2013 Selected by Paul Noble, APT Gallery, London.

Commissions

2017	Open Society Foundations, London.
2016	D5 Executive Gymnasium, Dubai International Financial Center.
2015	Discovery Networks, London.
2014	Frontier Economics, London.
	Hitachi Consulting UK, London.

Collections

Private and corporate collections: Hungary, Germany, Russia, UAE, Jersey, the United States, and the UK.

Public collection: Westminster Abbey Centre.

Bibliography

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2022, catalogue, London UK.

Winter Group Show, catalogue, Linden Hall Studio, Deal, Kent, UK 2022.

Fern & Glade, Interview, 2022.

ARTISTS RESPONDING TO, Zine Issue 5, January 2021.

'CBM Art Prize, III Edition', catalogue, Turin, Italy 2015.

'Griffin Gallery Open 2015', catalogue, London, UK.

'The State of Art Representational & Abstract #2', edited by Andy Laffan, Chris Hodson and Robin Laffan by Bare Hill Publishing, 2014.

'Art Gemini Prize - Finalists Exhibition', catalogue, London, 2013, 2015, 2016.

'Cork Street Open Exhibition 2013 August', catalogue, London.

Creekside Open 2013' catalogue, A.P.T Gallery, London.

Statement

Réka's practice encompasses painting, VR, installation, print and photography. She uses motifs, materials, objects and spaces, often imbued with folkloric elements, to remind her of her childhood memories. Réka is most significantly inspired by the memories of her father's copper workshop in Budapest and the floral embroideries of her mother. She uses copper in her artworks, which helps to recall the beauty, excitement and safety of these memories and to reflect upon the difficult ones.

Through painting, she recently explored Hungarian folk art as meditative processes and coping mechanisms by which women created cultural continuity over centuries, counterbalancing the interruptive nature of war. The organic patterns Réka uses are inspired by, but do not imitate Hungarian folkloric patterns. Instead, they are the products of both critical thinking and surrender to traditions.

For Réka, the creative process is to understand the narrative of her recollections, identifying the underlying patterns and tendencies that pervade and the parallel patterns and tendencies that run across society and culture. It is a ceremonial quest to find remedies for fractures on all levels of human experience and, in a symbolic manner, to perform curative corrections and adjustments, treating the artwork as her teacher, child and ally.