Pal Kepenyes (1926-2021) was a Hungarian artist who began his career as a painter and sculptor. He also created jewelry and had an interest in researching Mexican art. Kepenyes described himself as a loner during childhood, saying that he appreciated toys that he made more than his peers. At the age of 9, he discovered a passion for sculpting and dedicated himself to his talent. He started his studies at the School of Decorative Arts in Budapest as a preliminary step to enter the Higher Academy of Fine Arts. He was eventually admitted and studied under renowned master Beni Ferenczy. Kepenyes became a prisoner of war during the Stalinist regime. At the end of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, he was released and left for Paris, where he continued his studies at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts on Rue Bonaparte. He lived at the Cité Università de Paris in the Maison de Provinces, and met lots of students who came from many parts of the world. He was given the opportunity to experience Mexican art and culture. In 1959, he came to Mexico and dedicated himself to researching its culture and archaeological sites. He eventually took Mexican nationality in 1975 after settling permanently at Acapulco. His works ranges from miniature and sculptural jewelry to monumental pieces, which appear in many places like El Pueblo del Sol in Acapulco, El Baile in Atizapan, La Familia in Monterrey, Kofiapa at the Hungarian Embassy in Mexico City and in Hungary and Texas. His works also have been exhibited all around the world, like Paris, London, Tokyo, Berlin, Canada, the U.S., Austria, the Netherlands and Mexico. His style emphasizes handcrafted work, using little to no technology. He works with gems and precious metals like brass and copper, silver and gold alloys. For Kepenyes, the connection between the viewer and artwork is paramount. In his sculptural jewelry, he welcomes the concept that each piece becomes a personal part of the wearer, giving each on a unique presentation and expression. Kepenyes' works features romantic, playful and social representations of history, humanity and nature, conveyed through unconventional geometric, mechanical or multifaceted compositions. He died in Acapulco in 2021.
