Fine art exhibition opens at Willoughby Memorial Trust Gallery in Corby Glen and gives visitors a chance to meet the artist

A new fine art exhibition in a Corby Glen gallery gave visitors a chance to meet the Hungarian artist behind the creations on show.

The 'Half Broken Hopes' exhibition opened on Wednesday, October 5, at the Willoughby Memorial Trust Gallery, Corby Glen, and visitors got the chance to meet Szilvia Ponyiczki, the artist behind the exhibition, on Sunday.

Szilvia said: "Instead of an opening night, I decided to have two meet the artist days.

"I was lucky, as the first of these days coincided with the sheep fair which brought in a lot of visitors who normally perhaps would not have come to the gallery.

"I also met some of Willoughby Gallery’s regulars who rarely miss a new event. It was great to have a conversation with the art enthusiasts as well as with those who were keen to interpret the works.

"It seemed that many groups of people had fun noticing some of the hidden figures and symbols in the paintings or guessing how the titles relate to the works.

"On the day, I got a full page of very positive comments in the visitor’s book, which was lovely to see."

The exhibition showcases Szilvia's paintings and sculptures within her dream-carpet series.

The focus of her practice is exploring "the personal and the collective unconscious through art," said Szilvia.

The dream and symbol interpretation is a key part in her creative process.

The 'dream carpets' refer to "the complex symbolic patterns of life and the secret designs of fate," she added.

Art historian Aniko Petri said: "Szilvia Ponyiczki consciously explores the realm of the unconscious. In her works, she presents personal and collective memories, thus illustrating the sphere that exists beneath the conscious plane, from which our dreams and visceral memories feed.

"For her, making art is a meditative process, which she does not usually plan in advance. She does not sketch out patterns and compositions.

"The images are created organically as if calling on the unconscious in the painting. So let us immerse ourselves in this unknown, yet somehow familiar world.

"Let us open not only our eyes, but also our minds and souls, and allow ourselves to be taken on the journey that the exhibition invites us to take."

The 'Half Broken Hopes' exhibition is running until October 26.

Visitors will get another chance to meet Szilvia on Sunday, October 16.