Re-painted reality – An unusual exhibition in the spirit of diversity

The new exhibition organised jointly by the Association of People with Physical Disabilities, Budapest (currently celebrating its 35th anniversary) and the Hungarian National Gallery, supported by the 20-year-old Hungarian paint producer Poli-Farbe presents the works of artists with physical disabilities, artists painting with their mouth and feet, ones with other disabilities, and also able-bodied artists.

As a new element in its Equal Opportunity Programme, started three years ago, the Hungarian National Gallery decided to support the initiative and provide opportunities for artists mostly living on the margins of society to show the values their willpower and persistence were able to produce.

As the title of the exhibition indicates, we laid emphasis on diversity. Not only in the sense of diverse colours, although the majority of artworks feature a myriad of colours. Diversity has also been the leading principle in selecting the artists, as we asked both disabled and able-bodied artists to create the exhibited works. Therefore the great variety of wall paint colours used in the works symbolises the success of a diverse society that disabled people contribute to. The exhibition is also outstanding because the artists did not only paint on canvas, but – using and reinterpreting wall paints – they also produced works on walls, paper and fibre board.

Artworks are grouped in three categories related to notions very important to all of us, such as creativity, diversity and the love of nature. Following the route in the gallery rooms, this order applies to the works of lesser-known and well-known, disabled and able-bodied artists.