Artportal.hu

(1974. Salgótarján – )

Flórián Botos was born into a working-class family. Already as a child he had great affinity for arts, his mother and grandmother especially motivated him in pursuing a drawing career.  Until the year 1996 he painted, drew, and played on drum and percussion in a band. His life took a turn when he and all his family were converted. Drawing and music remained important for him. He still plays in a christian, evangelist roma band called Hit-Hopp (hit means „belief” in Hungarian) and draws pictures that depict biblical motifs combined with script.

Botos is very fond of the oeuvre of János Balázs, Tamás Péli and István Szentandrássy. His paintings stand as testemonials of a deeply religious man who incorporate the letters of psalms in his pictures. Botos defines his special technique as gift from god – letter – drawing. „I believe that the words of God are messages, a screaming word to the world, to the man.”

His first individual exhibition was introduced in the Gallery of the Hungarian Roma Parliament in April 2000. Later that year he emigrated with his family to Canada and settled down in the country. Since 2005 he took up making oil paintings. Some of his work of arts can be seen in the permanent exhibition of the Roma Parliament and other collections. In 2009, his pieces exploring religious themes were exhibited in the collection entitled Search for God - Find a Child, a show organised for the week of sacred arts that introduced the relegious works of gypsy artists.

Works in public collections
• Roma Parliament.