Sacred Moments

PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS BY PETER PUKLUS​​

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Sacred Moments can be described as personal and subjective experiences characterized by a profound sense of meaning and transcendence. They foster a feeling of interconnectedness with nature, humanity, a higher power, or one’s own inner self. Sacred moments provide insights into one’s values, beliefs, and place in the world. They can be transformative, leading to lasting changes in perspective, behavior, or relationships, using rituals, symbols, or gestures that signify the sacredness of the occasion.

 

Sacred moments play an important role for Hungarian artist Peter Puklus, whose practice spans across photography, painting, drawing, collage, and sculpture. In his works, often autobiographic, he allows us to take a close look into his personal life, both with self- portraits and scenes of his close surroundings. Storytelling plays a pivotal role for him, whether presented in gallery spaces or photo books. He skillfully merges diverse genres and media, establishing striking connections between them. Peter frequently depicts his observations of pre-established family roles and specifically the archetypes of the father and the mother, based on his own experience. His works reveal
deep emotions triggered by the joy and the responsibilities of his role as a man and family father in today’s world. His artist book Hero Mother, combining photographs and drawings, was published by Witty Books in cooperation with Images Vevey in 2021.

 

His more recent Hero Father series, created after the mother had left the family, focuses more on the male figure. The father’s quest for authenticity and self-expression breaks its way. This series was exhibited at KlotzShows during 9th Photo Brussels 2025 before being published by Witty Books and presented at Paris Photo 2025.

This exhibition, the third of Peter in our gallery, showcases his paintings and drawings, from postcard size to very large formats. Some of them are closely connected to his photo works, portraying himself in his immediate environment. Others are more abstract, highly spontaneous and expressive, almost in graffiti style. A third workstream contains written messages placed on strong visual backgrounds. All these works converge in a depiction of Peter’s own sacred moments in troubled times, both personally and more generally around him. His colourful paintings and drawings may generate similar feelings within the careful observer.

Peter Puklus, born 1980 in Cluj-Napoca (Romania), lives and works in Budapest. He studied photography at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) and media design at École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle (ENSCI) in Paris. His work has been widely shown in Hungary and internationally for more than 20 years, most recently at Ferenczy Múzeumi Centrum Szentendre, National Museum of Contemporary Arts Athens, Kunsthalle Bremen, and Ludwig Museum Budapest. In parallel to this exhibition, selected photos and sculptures of Peter Puklus are being presented at the Liszt Institute Brussels from 31 March until 12 May. Both shows are thematically connected and were developed in close and much appreciated cooperation.