András Galánfi and his students

András Galánfi was born in Hajdúszoboszló in 1945. He graduated from the Debrecen Teacher Training College in 1966, then attended the Nyíregyháza Teacher Training College. He started his teaching career as a village and farm teacher, and between 1970 and 1995 he was a P.E. teacher in Hajdúszoboszló. In 1973 he became a member of the Studio of Young Folk Artists as a carver. In 1974 he participated in the construction of Hungary’s frst wooden playground. He has been holding creative art camps around the country (Nyíregyháza, Debrecen, Ózd, Tata, Visegrád, Hajdúszoboszló, Nádudvar) since 1975 and has also been a performer since 1982. He received the title Applied Folk Artist in 1985, and since 1992 he has been the professional director and artistic direc tor of the Nádudvar Vocational School of Crafs, and for 15 years he was the art teacher of its wood carving department. He received the Pro Renovanda Cultura Hungariae Award in 1995, the Király Zsiga Award in 1996 and the title Master of Folk Arts in 1997. He was awarded the Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 2005 for passing on folk art in a school-like manner. Together with sculptor Péter Mátl, he created the largest wooden relief in the country in 2004, the Turán Gate in Hajdúsámson. Afer his retirement, in 2006, he created the biggest crafs yard in the country at the request of the Hortobágy National Park. He became a member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts in 2012, and over 10 years, with the support of the Academy, he pro duced 35 educational and popular science flms about forgotten crafs or crafs that have been preserved to the third generation. Ethnographer Jolán Borbély wrote about him: “His works are free of all false glamour, they are purist yet monumental, in each of them you can feel the harmony of the intelligence of the mind and the hand, each of them is a testimony about the man, András Galánfi, a teacher loyal to his country and the people.”
The works of Balázs Győri (1980, Debrecen) are characterised by a wide range of professional skills, simple and functional, as well as the harmonious use of lines and patterns, of proportionate forms and structures. Their creator has already received the Junior Prima Award and the title Young Master of Folk Art.
Balázs Vida (2000, Budapest) demonstrates uniqueness, high standards, traditional formal characteristics, precision, appropriate and diverse use of materials in his works, which he uses to enrich his creations and our national heritage. He received both the frst prize and a special prize at the 14th National Youth Crafs Competition in 2021.
Áron Antal (1997, Csíkszereda / Miercurea Ciuc, RO) strives to preserve the traditional formal language, while at the same time placing emphasis on good and comfortable usability in his creations, so that his objects create a liveable environment in everyday life. He won frst prize at the 14th National Youth Crafs Competition in 2021.