Dr. Barbara Bódi

Painter, Art Educator, and Social Researcher

Her masters include B. István Nagy and Péter Földi, both recipients of the Munkácsy Award, under whom she studied at the Eszterházy Károly University in the department of Drawing and Visual Communication. She also participated in the courses of Kossuth Award-winning painter István Szentandrássy and trained under the guidance of Munkácsy Award-winning visual and applied artists József Baska and Katalin Rényi. Throughout her studies, alongside the inspiration of outstanding
painters from art history, she returned to her own talent, walking her individual creative path in a truly “Bobás” way. As a messenger, she expresses herself through the diverse tools of visual art, employing mixed media innovations and free thematic choices. Her works often reflect a search for Christian mysteries or simply respond to the impulses she encounters, manifesting her unique visual world. Painting, graphic
art, and various innovative mixed techniques are her primary means of expression and she has also begun writing art theoretical studies with the intention of creating lasting values in other fields. Based on a quote by János Pilinszky — “If you recognize a talent within yourself, you must cultivate it” — she approaches her work with a desire for growth, exploring and documenting the artistic and cultural values of “the smallest” , often unacknowledged or underappreciated national minorities, and highlighting their presence in contemporary art.

The other aspect of her creative work focuses on academic research. Her doctoral dissertation is titled The Process of the Roma/Gypsy Fine Art Movement Emerging in the Second Half of the 20th Century and its Evolution in the Context of Social Emancipation.

In her academic and multifaceted artistic work, she continually strives for development and value creation, molding herself into a creative individual dedicated to growth — a process that lasts a lifetime.

 

Dr. Bódi Barbara

Ars poetica

„Art is the conspiracy of angels above the world.”

Ottlik Géza

She participates in this conspiracy with her brush, searching for a higher reality beyond what is seen. The exploration and perfection of nature continuously inspire her visual renewal, revealing the infinite abundance of everything around us. This vastness influences her message, the nature of her expression, and her technical background, evolving innovatively with her emotions and experiences. The countless species of animals, their irreplaceable colors and forms, the richness of plant life, the delicate shapes and scents of flowers, the landscapes of mountains and valleys — all are presented to us harmoniously, free of charge. She draws her ideas from this endless source. And she, too, is part of this abundance, as there are infinite variations of humanity, not only in skin color but also in the shades of our souls. Always embracing her differences, she views the world from a perspective beyond earthly stereotypes, seeking the commonality in Humanity with Christian faith and an elevated outlook. For her, art is a constant source of inspiration, allowing her to occasionally touch transcendent heights, as painting is one of the forms of her prayer. However, she always begins by searching within, for everything is already there.

Motto:

“I draw from the creative force within me, an essential life energy that connects me to the universe.”

Dr. Bódi Barbara

In her first solo album, DrBoBa presents a chronologically arranged collection of her studio drawings, paintings, and mixed-media works, dating back to her university years, some of which serve as illustrations for her short stories. Through her visual and written works spanning from 1997 to 2017, the contemporary painter shares her personal ars poetica with her readers. This rich, eventful content, filled with artistic
value, is accompanied by endorsements and exhibition openings from numerous notable figures. These include Dr. Prof. Emeritus György Fekete, the late founding president of the Hungarian Academy of Arts; Péter Fekete, former Secretary of State for Culture of the Ministry of Human Capacities; Tamás Szirtes, Director of the Madách Theatre; Tímea Junghaus, art historian and curator, Director of the European
Roma Institute for Arts and Culture; Anikó Lévai, Goodwill Ambassador of the Hungarian Interchurch Aid; and Katalin Novák, former President of the Republic of Hungary. The 176-page publication, richly illustrated with colorful images, is available in three languages — Hungarian, English, and Romani.

Exhibitions

The painter has been continuously creating and exhibiting since the age of 17, with an average of 3-4 solo and group exhibitions per year since 1994. In 2016, during a pilgrimage to the Vatican, she presented her painting Stigma as a gift to Pope Francis, marking the conscious beginning of her personal artistic journey as “Boba.”

Notable Exhibitions (Selection):

  • 2014: Boba Impressions art exhibition — opened by Anikó Lévai, Goodwill Ambassador of the Hungarian Interchurch Aid, and Tamás Szirtes, Director of the Madách Theatre, at the Tolnay Salon, Madách Theatre.
  • 2015: Best of Women – Women in Front of and Behind the Canvas — joint exhibition with the "best" female artists, Tolnay Salon, Madách Theatre.
  • June 2016: House of Dialogue, Mirror-Mirror Exhibition or a Different Image About Difference — opened by the late Dr. Prof. Emeritus György Fekete, founding president of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, and Katalin Novák, then State Secretary for Family and Youth Affairs at the Ministry of Human Capacities, and former President of Hungary.
  • 2017: Fantazma-Gloria art exhibition at the Hegyvidék Cultural Salon, with the involvement of art historian Virág Széll.
  • 2018: Agora Cultural and Arts Center group exhibition, Szombathely.
  • 2018: Mirror-Mirror Exhibition or a Different Image About Difference solo exhibition, Pesti Vigadó Foyer Gallery — opened by Dr. Habil. Emeritus György Fekete, President of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, and Anna Tardy, Managing Director of MANK (Hungarian Creative Artists Public Benefit Nonprofit Ltd.).
  • 2019: Source exhibition for the Day of Hungarian Culture — opened by Mayor Dr. Sándor Németh, Bük.
  • 2021: BOBA-ism exhibition at the Tolnay Salon, Madách Theatre — opened by Péter Fekete, Secretary of State for Culture, and the late Dr. Miklós Kocsis, Director of MMA MMKI.
  • 2022: Departure joint exhibition at Pesti Vigadó with the MMA MMKI Art Fellows — opened by György Vashegyi, President of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, and sculptor Ádám Farkas, regular member of the Academy.
  • 2022: Ars Sacra Festival with Boba at the Sapientia College of Theology,
    opened by Rector Dr. Jákó Fehér, Benedictine monk, and Anna Mária Bólya, MMA MMKI Art Researcher.
  • 2022: Boba Exhibition in the Street of Painters — surrounded by Benczúr, Munkácsy, and Rippl-Rónai, opened by Alpár Gyopáros, Government Commissioner for Modern Settlement Development.
  • 2023: What Would Petőfi Say About This? joint exhibition of the Petőfi 200 Season event series at HybridartSpace Gallery — organized by the Art Market Budapest and Art Today teams.
  • 2023: Time of the Gypsies group exhibition at the Yehudi Menuhin Room of the European Parliament and at the Liszt Institute of the Hungarian Cultural Center in Brussels.
  • 2023: National Minority Art in Hungary joint exhibition at the Holy Trinity Gallery, organized by the Bulgarian Cultural Forum.
  • Autumn 2023: Sym-phony of Colors solo exhibition at the Hungarian Cultural Center, Bucharest Institute — opened by Director András Kósa.
  • 2024: Presentation of the large-scale oil painting 371 Stars in memory of the victims of the Roma Holocaust at Budapest Gallery.
  • 2024: Half a Century of Spring — exhibition and program series with Roma female painters at the Szentandrássy Roma Art Gallery.

    Awards and Recognitions:

    • 2019-2021: MMA MMKI Art Fellowship, Painting Section
    • 1999-2001: Hungarian Republic Scholarship
    • 1998: Outstanding Talent Scholarship at Eszterházy Károly University
    • 1995: Budapest Scholarship Program

      Media Appearances