Ádám Dóra
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Ádám Dóra is a Hungarian painter based between Budapest and Barcelona. He paints sneakers, headphones and gym gear at a large scale. He began painting them in 2019, during the lockdowns, when he was working part-time in fashion retail. His work is built in series, with recurring subjects in new contexts from one to the next. His Barcelona solo took its name from a Philip Guston book, I paint what I don't want to see, but with the "don't" crossed out to keep both meanings. After a recent trip to New York, he started a new series of streetwear paintings.
Q: Giant sneakers drifting on cartoon clouds. How did you arrive there?
A: In 2019, during the COVID-19 pandemic, my attention began to focus on these fashion items. As the streets emptied and I spotted the occasional oversized shoes at subway exits and overpasses, they sparked powerful visions within me. During that period, I was also working part-time in the fashion retail industry, so I had daily contact with textiles and clothing, which had a direct sensory impact on my painting.
Q: Your Barcelona solo was called I paint what I don't want to see. What don't you want to see?
A: This title was the idea of the curator of the exhibition, Ricard Casals. We had a talk about a book on Philip Guston titled "I Paint What I Want to See." Analyzing my works—beyond their connection to Guston in the history of painting—we concluded that numerous visual elements appear in my work that we don't necessarily want to see, but which surround us, are ever-present, and have become ingrained in our daily lives due to their utilitarian nature. This is why the word "Don't" was crossed out in the title—to convey this duality.
Q: Headphones, gym gear, oversized sneakers. What makes an object worth painting?
A: Essentially, two things appeal to me greatly: the size of a painting—how much space it takes over—and how motifs that seem simple and banal could dominate the surface with a powerful aura.
That's why "The Cup" of Sterling Ruby impressed me deeply. I have seen that making-of video 50 times at least. One of the greatest challenges of contemporary painting is that people are overstimulated visually. I aim to slow down this to a deeper focus but still in a vivid and powerful way. It's always about time and looking. Motifs that are impersonal, reminiscent of contemporary object culture, and burned into the retina become sensory and personal through painting. Thus, concrete and abstract visual statements are present simultaneously.
Q: You work in series, each painting answering the last. When does a series end?
A: Generally, my interests and my regular studio practice organize the works into series. I continue to develop a set of motifs or a visual format as long as I am interested in it and its inherent potential endures. And this, in turn, depends on my personal experiences.
It's like sex or hunger. In my recent works, there is greater overlap between themes, and elements that have appeared previously often reappear in new contexts.
Q: You split your time between Budapest and Barcelona. How do these cities get into the work?
A: I've been living and working in two places for four years now. My references, motifs and inspiration come from an international context like social media, internet, consumer life. The atmosphere of the space where I could work matters.
I was born in Vác, a small town by the river in the suburb of Budapest; that's where my family memories are rooted, and it's also where my current Hungarian studio is located, providing a quiet, peaceful environment for work just 20 minutes away from the hustle and bustle. Since my childhood, Budapest has played a defining role in my professional, social, and personal life.
The galleries, institutions, and collaborating partners that host my exhibitions in Hungary serve as an important professional and emotional base for me. My life in Barcelona began when I applied for a residency program of Piramidón Centre. I grew to love this studio house so much. I've been living and working here for a few months each summer in the last 4 years. The longest I've spent here was half a year.
During that time, I formed quite a few friendships and professional connections, started to work with Escat gallery, and had exhibitions. My heart always draws me back to this city—the sea, the architecture, and the energy of the people here.
Q: Your painting has moved from architecture to rock landscapes to what critics call "easy pop." Where is it heading now?
A: Each work comes from the same inner core and is shaped by the current influences I am heading into. This year I was in New York by invitation of a collector of mine and just started to make paintings about those sketches I made after the trip. It's more about fashion again, showcasing some streetwear elements in an abstract way focusing on shapes, textures and color combinations. These works are also inspired by Spanish brands and Mediterranean urban clothing. You can see stranger figures with mysterious identity behind, because products and the city views take over the whole picture. The idea is now shaping them into more complexity, as painting always does…
