István Molnár [Iscsu] was born in 1947 in Salgótarján, Hungary. He started his art career as a member of the Young Artists Association. He is primarily a graphic artist with his main interest in etching, illustration, art books and book layout. Since 1979, he has participated in group and solo exhibitions at home and abroad. He actively participates in the graphic biennials at Tihany, Lódz, Miskolc, and Salgótaján.
Molnár is a very sensitive artist that is attracted to the bizarre, the grotesque, and the absurd. Besides his grimace, he loves life, beautiful surroundings: plants and animals. Often it takes time to recognize his figures, blinking out from their masks. He likes astrology and is interested in the theatre. Favorite inhabitants in his world are: clowns, angels, stars, and snails with wings. His technique is excellent.

Selected Solo Exhibitions:

2000 Miskolci Galéria, Miskolc, Hungary
1999 Zsinagóga, Nagykanizsa, Hungary
1997 Rékai Galéria, Budapest, Hungary
1995 Publisher Pontifex Szentendre, Hungary
1989 Rudnai Gyula Terem, Eger, Hungary
1989 Dürer Terem, Budapest, Hungary
1985 Miskolci Galéria, Miskolc, Hungary
1984 Kulturwerkstatt, Duisburg, Germany
1982 Park-Galerie, Witten, Germany
1982 Mednyánszky Terem, Budapest, Hungary

Selected Exhibitions:

2000 Century International Ex Libris Competition, Barcelona, Spain
2000 Graphic Biennial Miskolc Hungary
1999 52nd Frankfurt Buchmesse, Germany
1999 "L'arte in prospettiva Europea" - Concorso Internazionale d'Arte, Lomazzo, Italy
1997 International Biennial of Small Print Formsand Exlibris, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland
1997 1st International Exhibition "Ex Libris", Rijeka, Croatia
1996 International Art Book Exhibition. Vigadó Galéria, Budapest
1996 IV. International Biennial of Miniature Art, Gornji Milanovac, Yugoslavia
1995 The World of Ex-Libris International Competition and Exhibition in the Field of Applied Graphic Art, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
1995 I. Triennal Exlibris, Bratislava, Slovakia
1994 International Ex-Libris Exhibition, Milano, Italy
1994 François Rabelais Concours d'Ex-libris, Meudon, France
1993 Kecskemét, Hungary
1992 L'Esport en l'Ex-libris, Barcelona, Spain
1988 XII Biennial of Ex Libris, Malbork, Poland
1983 Small Grafics Forms, Lódz, Poland
1983 Singen, Germany
1983 Budapest
1982 Veszprém, Hungary
1981 Szeged, Hungary
1980 Miskolc, Hungary

Selected Awards:

2001 Special Prize, 26th Spring Exhibition, Salgótarján, Hungary
1999 Competition of Ex Libris. M. Daukšos "Postilei" - 400 Lithuania
1998 Third Price, Firs International Contest Exhibition of Miniature Graphics Ex Libris, Arad, Romania
1995 Prize for "Nice Hungarian Book", Boros Géza: Monuments for '56, published by Institute for 1956
1996 First Price, Concorso Internazionale Ex-libris, Lomazzo, Italy
1993 Special Prize Képzo- és Iparmuvészeti Lektorátus , Ex-libris 1993, Gyula, Hungary
1991 Premio Presidente Giuria Prof. Nicola Carlone, "Medicina e Arte nelle Scienze Biomediche" - Concorso Internacionale di Ex Libris, Torino, Italy
1988 Prize for "Nice Hungarian Book", Nagy Sándor: Versenybringa és társai, published by Mór

References:

Fitz, Péter: Contemporary Hungarian Art Lexicon; Budapest, Enciklopédia Kiadó, 2000, Volume 2, pp. 826-827.
Seregélyi, György: Hungarian Painters and Graphic Artists Lexicon 1800-1988; Szeged 1988, p. 420.
P.Sz.T.: Contemporary Hungarian Painters and Sculptors; Budapest 1985, p. 197.