Emerik Feješ ( sr-Cyrl, Емерик Фејеш;

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

, November 3, 1904 –

Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...

, July 9, 1969) was a

painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

; a classic of Serbian

Naïve art Naïve art is usually defined as visual art that is created by a person who lacks the formal education and training that a professional artist undergoes (in anatomy, art history, technique, perspective, ways of seeing). When this aesthetic is ...

Biography

He was born in

in 1904 in the Croatia-Slavonia (

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

, from 1918 part of the Serb-Croat-Slovene Kingdom) to a poor family of mixed Hungarian- Serbian heritage (original surname of his family was Stefanović / Стефановић). At the age of five he moved to

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

with his parents and spent his life in

, where he began to paint in 1949 after his serious illness and retiring. Between two world wars he worked as a button-maker, second-hand dealer, comb-maker, shop assistant and lathe operator in various towns of former Yugoslavia. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he lived in exile, in

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

, and in 1945 he returned to Novi Sad. Feješ suffered from

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

and

sciatica Sciatica is pain going down the leg from the lower back. This pain may go down the back, outside, or front of the leg. Onset is often sudden following activities such as heavy lifting, though gradual onset may also occur. The pain is often desc ...

throughout his life, keeping him bed-ridden. In 1949, he discovered painting and handicrafts, and began his first works. In 1969 Feješ died in

, leaving behind many buttons and combs, and hundreds of pictures that are much admired for their lack of inhibition and universal appeal.Н.Крстић, ''Бајка о градовима'', monograph, MNMA, Jagodina, 2014, 11N. Krstić, ''Outsider Art in Serbia'', monograph, MNMA, Јагодина, 2014, pp. 144-151

Artistic Style

Emerik Feješ began his artistic career with depictions of nudes, portraits,

still life A still life (: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly wikt:inanimate, inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or artificiality, human-m ...

, and genre scenes from suburban life. From 1954 onwards, he focused exclusively on urban landscapes. His first exhibition took place in 1955, followed by a solo show in 1956. Feješ is considered a significant figure in the depiction of urban landscapes within the realms of

naïve art Naïve art is usually defined as visual art that is created by a person who lacks the formal education and training that a professional artist undergoes (in anatomy, art history, technique, perspective, ways of seeing). When this aesthetic is ...

and

outsider art Outsider art is Fine art, art made by Autodidacticism, self-taught individuals who are untrained and untutored in the traditional arts with typically little or no contact with the Convention (norm), conventions of the art worlds. The term ''ou ...

in the South–Slavic region. Despite a high degree of artistic freedom and stylistic abstraction, his compositions remained within the bounds of the recognizable. He often used black-and-white postcards depicting monumental architecture as templates. These were transferred to larger formats using carbon paper, with imaginative elements added in the process. The realistic appearance and coloring of buildings were subordinated to his artistic vision, often resulting in representations that strongly deviated from the originals. His motifs included cities along the Adriatic Coast, in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, and the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

region. Feješ’s distinctive visual language is marked by unique formal elements. Architectural features such as arches and architraves were sometimes represented by domino friezes, while windows or oculi were replaced with scattered buttons. His color palette is characterized by warm, vivid tones and a Fauvist intensity. His works are notable for the absence of narrative elements, instead emphasizing abstract forms, geometric tendencies, rhythmic structures, flatness, and ornamental detail. The human figure played a minor role in Feješ’s work. Instead, his compositions featured colorful, rhythmic arrangements that created dynamic, almost musical visual effects. These compositions conveyed a joyful and unique atmosphere, often described as visual rhapsodies of shapes and colors. Feješ lived a reclusive life and struggled with health issues. During his lifetime, his work received little public attention. Only posthumously did he gain wider recognition. His paintings reflect a highly personal and playful visual world, shaped by a childlike perception and a strong desire to transform the grey of everyday life into something vibrant and imaginative. He is a world classic today.

Exhibitions

He exhibited his urban legends worldwide and many times received awards and recognition. The greatest and most representative collections of his works are i
Museum of Naïve and Marginal Art (MNMA)
Jagodina, Serbia, in Croatian Museum of Naïve Art,

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

, Gallery Elke und Werner Zimmer,

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

; and Zander Collection,

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

, etc.

Gallery

Feješ Emerik, Big-Ben – parlament u Londonu.jpg, ''Big Ben - Parliament in London'', about 1962,
tempera on paper, 56x85cm,
MNMA, Jagodina Feješ Emerik, Notr-Dam u Parizu.jpg, ''Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris'', about 1962,
tempera on paper, 56x85cm,
MNMA, Jagodina Feješ Emerik, Stari Beograd.jpg, ''Old Belgrade'', about 1960
tempera on paper, 58x73cm,
MNMA, Jagodina Feješ Emerik, Venecija.jpg, ''Venice'', about 1966
tempera on paper, 58x40cm,
MNMA, Jagodina Feješ Emerik, Vorms.jpg, ''Worms'', about 1963
tempera on paper, 50,5x62cm,
MNMA, Jagodina

References

Literature

* М.Бошковић; М.Маширевић,Самоуки ликовни уметници у Србији, Торино, 1977 * Ото Бихаљи-Мерин; Небојша Бато Томашевић, Енциклопедија наивне уметности света, Београд, 1984 * Н. Крстић, Наивна уметност Србије, САНУ, MNMA, Jagodina, 2003 * Н. Крстић, Наивна и маргинална уметност Србије, MNMA, Jagodina, 2007 * N. Krstić, Outsiders, catalogue, MNMA, Jagodina, 2013 * Н. Крстић, Бајка о градовима, монографија, MNMA, Jagodina, 2014 * N. Krstić, Outsider Art in Serbia, MNMA, Јагодина, 2014, pp. 144–151

External links

Emerik Feješ paintings, autobiography, photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fejes, Emerik Outsider artists Naïve painters People from Osijek Artists from Novi Sad 1904 births 1969 deaths 20th-century Serbian painters Serbian male painters 20th-century Serbian male artists