These selected pieces reflect SI-LA-GI&#39;s evolving use of materials and diverse thematic explorations. Each artwork has been chosen to offer insight into the breadth and depth of SI-LA-GI&#39;s creative vision, providing viewers with a representative glimpse into his artistic journey.&nbsp;Editor&#39;s Note: Over the course of his six-decade career, SI-LA-GI created thousands of artworks, and only a very small selection is displayed in this album.<a href="/artworks/">Go to &quot;Artworks by medium&quot; to see more works</a>

Curated works

"This Painting Is Based on a True Story" and "Unfinished" 

↳ Photography taken during the exhibition "'TÁRGYTALAN', SI-LA-GI & Zsuzsanna Kovács Drölma" at Tér-Kép Galéria, Budapest, 2023

"This Painting Is Based on a True Story"
Medium: Acrylic and spray paint on canvas
Dimensions: 180 x 100 cm
Year: 2018

"Unfinished"
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 115 cm
Year: 2018

"Heart Sutra / Szív-Szútra"
Medium: C-print mounted on aluminum
Dimensions: 126 x 162 cm
Year: 2000

↳ In this powerful performance piece, SI-LA-GI physically engages with the Heart Sutra, a sacred Buddhist text, by writing it on the wall in charcoal and then imprinting it onto his naked back. The artist subsequently erases portions of the text using a sponge, creating circular voids that evoke the impermanence and cyclical nature of existence

"Yellow River" (Triptych)
Medium: Mixed techniques on Canvas (print, acrylic)
Dimensions: 171.5 x 210 cm

↳ Yellow is not yellow, but INFINITE BLUE. The river is not a river, but ONE PICTURE OF THREE. The relationship between the forms, colors and texts in the images are visual representations of a thought process. Contemplations that can inspire the viewer to think, to come closer to the liberating recognition of freedom, i.e. limitlessness. 

"Tortoise and the Mountain"
Medium: Gold, Acrylic and Japanese ink on canvas
Dimensions: 180 x 200 cm
Year: 2011

"Gensö" / "Mirror of Our Lack of Understanding"
Medium: Acrylic, charcoal and spray paint on canvas
Dimensions: Approx. 180 x 180 cm
Year: 2022

↳ In this artwork, SI-LA-GI presents a house constructed from lines, floating in an infinite space. The artist suggests that this structure represents our home, our place in the universe, yet its origins and destination remain unknown. The presence of Chinese and Japanese text, undecipherable to most viewers, serves as a mirror reflecting our own limited understanding. Through this composition, SI-LA-GI invites us to contemplate the boundaries of our knowledge and the vastness of the mysteries that surround us.

"Form is Emptiness, Emptiness Itself is a Form"
Medium: Crayon and pastel on newspaper
Dimensions: 43 x 24 cm
Year: 198x

"Gates of Suffering / A szenvedés kapui"
Medium: C-print
Year: 1995

"I'm Going to Die My Dear, and You Too"
Year: 198x

"Everybody Used to Lie"
Medium: Oil and acrylic on newspaper
Dimensions: 30 x 41 cm
Year: 1981

"Home"
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 188 x 105 cm
Year: 2017

"Suffering of the Suffering [A szenvedés szenvedése]"
Medium: C-print
Dimensions: 120 x 100 cm

"Emptiness and the Chair"
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 180 x 100 cm
Year: 2017

a painting of a red car with the words live and art are full of accidents

"Life and Art are Full of Accidents" (with Tawan Wattuya)
Medium: [Medium not specified]
Dimensions: 290 x 215 cm
Year: 2015

"America Settlement I [Amerika Lakópark I]"
Artists: SI-LA-GI with JOK (Daniel Csepku)
Medium: Acrylic on canvas, spray paint
Dimensions: 197 x 280 cm
Year: 2002-2003

"Happiness and Suffering are Similar, Both Transitory I / Boldogság és szenvedés hasonló mindkettö mulandó I"
Medium: Photography
Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm

Related text: https://www.si-la-gi.com/artwork-happiness-and-suffering/

a painting of a woman holding a cup of coffee

"Day, Night, Force and the News"
Medium: Mixed Media

"Honeydrops in Salty Sea I [Mézcseppek sós tengerben I]"
Artists: SI-LA-GI with Pal Gerber, Imre Kovacs, SLOW (Daniel Szentkiralyi)
Medium: Acrylic on canvas, Barum tyre
Dimensions: 197 x 280 cm
Year: 2007

"Akcio -200% Honey-Drops in Salty Sea II"
Artists: SI-LA-GI, Pal Gerber, JOCK (Daniel Csepku)
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 197 x 280 cm
Year: 2007

"Don't Mind the GAP between Something and Nothing"
Exhibition: KOANS
Gallery: Tang Contemporary Art Gallery
Artists: SI-LA-GI with Tawan Wattuya
Location: Bangkok
Date: March 2014

"Roaring Lions"
Collaborative work by HE Beru Khyentse Rinpoche and SI-LA-GI
Medium: Calligraphy
Dimensions: 200 cm x 580 cm
Year: 2007

"Not the Pictures but the Meanings Are Important - Thought Advertisement"
Medium: Made for a monthly Art Magasin (Müértö)
Year: 2004/05
Note: Each exists in C-print version

"Foreplay [Előjáték]"
Medium: Stainless iron, compressed air, burning gas
Dimensions: 700 x 700 x 450 cm
Year: 2000
ART Herald of the new Millennium - Varosliget Lake (Budapest) 

"A thought troubles me, that a thought troubles me." 
[Egy gondolat bánt engemet, hogy egy gondolat bánt engemet.]"
Medium: Mixed media
Details: 23 installed objects (2 x 11 pieces + 1)
Dimensions: 700 x 700 x 500 cm
Year: 1991/95
Exhibition picture

"Turtle and the Mountain"
Medium: Ink on paper
Year: 2011

"Heart Sutra"
Medium: Ink on paper
Year: 2011

"Meditation"

↳ In this early work from 1968, a young SI-LA-GI of 21 years old explores the expressive potential of calligraphic brushstrokes. The painting's gestural marks evoke a sense of spontaneity and meditation, reflecting the artist's nascent interest in the meaningful simplicity of Eastern calligraphy. In addition to the dynamic brushstrokes, the number of dots represents the content associated with the meditation, enhancing the work's depth and connection to contemplative practices.

"Venus"
Medium: Silkscreen and spray
Dimensions: 78 x 106 cm
Year: 1982

"Human Blood & Mother Milk"
Medium: Human blood, Mother milk, bottles.
Year: 2007

"FAKE, AI WEWEI, DREAM"
Medium: 9 pieces of ceramic 

"Subways"
Medium: [Medium not specified]
Dimensions: [Dimensions not specified]
Year: 1985

In "Subways," SI-LA-GI layers a subway map over a fragmented Renaissance painting, creating a visual dialogue that invites reflections on time, history, and the journey of life. The map symbolizes movement from one point to another, while the artwork beneath evokes the past. Together, they suggest the complex interplay of past and present, the known and unknown, as we navigate through the "subways" of our own existence.

"Midnight / Éjfél"
Medium: Oil, acrylic, and bones on canvas
Dimensions: 230 x 800 cm
Year: 1983

↳ In this expansive painting of 230x800 cm (1983), SI-LA-GI explores the cyclical nature of time and the human experience. Their forms abstracted and intertwined. The artist incorporates the motifs of sunset and sunrise, suggesting the passage of days and the ebb and flow of life itself. By integrating real bones into the composition, SI-LA-GI adds an archaeological dimension, evoking the enduring presence of the past within the present moment. Documenting the nocturnal position changes of the artist and his wife, the work captures intimate human rhythms, inviting multiple interpretations while ultimately unifying diverse temporal and symbolic elements into a powerful, cohesive statement about the interconnectedness of existence.

"Departure, Arrival"
Medium: Acrylic and crayon on canvas
Dimensions: 60 x 230 cm
Year: 2020

In this artwork, SI-LA-GI contemplates the liminal space between departure and arrival, suggesting their inherent similarity. The left panel features a delicate line drawing of boats, while the right presents an abstract interpretation of the same concept. Both compositions culminate in expanses of white, evoking a sense of endlessness and emptiness. Through this juxtaposition, the artist invites the viewer to consider the transient nature of journeys and the profound void that awaits at their conclusion.

"Marcel and Joseph"
Medium: Silkscreen, lithography, and offset
Dimensions: 75 x 56 cm
Year: 1981

↳ SI-LA-GI’s artwork integrates offset lithography, stone lithography, and silkscreen to create a dynamic, multi-layered composition. Central to the piece is an image featuring Marcel Duchamp and Joseph Beuys by a swimming pool, extending into infinite space. The inclusion of philosophical text invites to a deeper understanding, contemplation on the philosophical and artistic connections between these figures. This work bridges different techniques and ideas, exploring themes of perception, continuity, and the interplay between text and image. Wisdom, equanimity, dualistic view. Wisdom the unmistaken understanding of things, specifically the inside into emptiness, the actual way in which things exist, the antidote to ignorance.

"32 Mistakes" (32 different pieces)
Medium: Silkscreen, crayon, and spray
Dimensions: 75 x 52 cm
Year: 1982

↳ SI-LA-GI's artwork "32 Mistakes" explores the beauty of imperfection and transformation through a series of 32 unique silk screen prints. Originating from a broken silk screen, each piece showcases the fluidity and the distortion of form, creating a dynamic interplay between intention and accident. 

Daily News
"Bartok Screw Diver and the Mass"
Medium: Acrylic on Newspaper
Dimensions: 40 x 56 cm
Year: 1981

"Last Supper (Detail) [Utolsó vacsora - részlet]"
Medium: Silkscreen, glasses, wine, clothes
Dimensions: 80 x 926 x 25 cm
Year: 1995

↳ In this immersive installation, SI-LA-GI reinterprets Leonardo da Vinci's iconic "Last Supper" by focusing on the table and its symbolic elements. By offering real wine and bread for participants to consume, the artist invites viewers to become active participants in the artwork, blurring the boundaries between art and life. This interactive experience transforms the traditional, static representation into a shared, meditative moment, encouraging reflection on the themes of communion, nourishment, and the sacred within the everyday. At the same time, it provides an opportunity for contemplation, inviting us to think and feel what it would be like if this were our last meal.

"Gate"
Medium: Acrylic and cloth on canvas
Dimensions: 130 x 230 cm
Year: 1983

"Intrinsic Value III [Lényegi érték]"
Medium: Chromate iron
Dimensions: 78 cm Ø
Year: 1992/93

In this piece from his laser-cut iron series, SI-LA-GI presents a circular form with letters either "sinking" or "emerging," encapsulating the fluidity of beginnings and endings. This dynamic interplay reflects the artist's engagement with themes of transformation and continuity. 

"Buy One, Get One Free (Egyet fizet, kettőt kap)"
Medium: Wood frame, textile flags
Year: 2006

"Time Making / Idő készítés"
Medium: Silver gelatin photography 
Dimensions: 30 x 40 cm
Year: 1993

"Jude [Zsidó]"
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 196 x 280 cm
Year: 1990/96

↳ JUDE A neutral scene. There is no hate, no fear, no love. There is nothing, in other words all that is there is what we put there. What you put there : emotions, feelings which come from us and not from others and with which we can fill the scene. It is banal, simple; banal, incredible. Look at it again, it is still and forever neutral, only imagination begins to work. I could even say, look deep inside yourself for the roots of your emotions, but i do not say it.

"1 Meter Jude & 1 Meter Hungarian (Magyar)"
Medium: Broidery on textile (clothing labels)
Dimensions: 100 x 50 cm
Year: 2000

↳ In this thought-provoking work, SI-LA-GI employs the familiar format of clothing labels to challenge notions of identity, ethnicity and categorization. By juxtaposing the words "Jude" (Jew) and "Magyar" (Hungarian) on mass-produced labels in various sizes, the artist highlights the absurdity and danger of reducing individuals to simplistic labels. SI-LA-GI is inviting viewers to reflect on the complexities of identity and the implications of labeling in both personal and commercial contexts.

"Not a Fountain but Urinal"
"Ce n’est pas une fontaine, mais un urinoir"
"Nem szökőkút hanem vizelde"
Medium: Hand-painted porcelain
Year: 2006/07

Series: Lie - Hazugság (12 pictures)
Medium: C-print
Dimensions: 50 x 70 cm each
Year: 2002

↳ In these series, a Mercedes calendar is repurposed to juxtapose luxury imagery with provocative text. Each month features a model car paired with words like "EGYÜTTÉRZÉS" (Compassion) and "HAZUGSÁG" (Lie),” GYOMORRONTÁS” (Upset Stomach) creating a stark contrast between the opulence of the visuals and the moral or ethical connotations of the words. This tension prompts viewers to reflect on the underlying messages about consumerism and societal values, encouraging deeper contemplation about the dissonance between appearances and reality.

"Apology"
Year: 2008

↳ In this thought-provoking text-based artwork, SI-LA-GI and an historian chronicle the conflicts between European nations throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Each line features a list of countries apologizing to others, creating a tapestry of reconciliation and understanding. By reframing historical conflicts through the lens of apology, the artist invites viewers to consider the transformative power of empathy, forgiveness, and open dialogue.

"Art America Absolute Anarchy"
Year: 198x

Browse curated works from SI-LA-GI's artistic career. This collection highlights the artist's use of materials and thematic explorations over time.

Selected Artworks by SI-LA-GI | 1968 to Present

Short selection of artworks from 1968 to 2024

Explore a selection of SI-LA-GI's artworks spanning over five decades. View key pieces that showcase his evolving style and diverse themes in mixed media.