Philippines
KZ arrived in the Philippines and found himself surrounded by a vibrant burst of tropical colors, salt-tinged breezes and glorious sunsets spilling gold and crimson across the ocean. It was a sensory experience unlike anything he had known in Europe, awakening a new and vivid palette in his imagination.
New Installation
When KZ installed the two artworks in GT’s beachfront home, he expected only a short professional trip, but the warmth of the people he met and a series of magical moments he experienced during his visit soon gave him a new sense of family and belonging. He found himself immersed in the local spirit, the landscape and the richness of the overlapping textures swimming in the tropical light.
As he ventured deeper in the realms of GT’s picturesque ancestral hometown in Medina, he quite literally discovered the vibrant world beneath the ocean and felt unexpectedly at home underwater.
Later, he realized that the flowing forms and shifting light beneath the surface closely echoed the artworks he had installed, as if they had quietly reflected that hidden world all along.
Tokyo Dreams
The concept for Tokyo10 grew out of Zoltán’s reflections after his time in the Philippines, where he had experienced so many unexpectedly joyful moments, particularly with his newfound family, the Tans.
Noting that the Hungarian language lacks a direct word that fully captures the idea of “fun,” he playfully suggested using the number 10—as in 10 out of 10—to connect to “Tan” as a way to describe moments that felt truly exceptional. When he later set aside ten days to explore Tokyo on his own, the coincidence felt perfect, and the idea for Tokyo10 naturally emerged.
In Hungarian to say ‘cool’ sounds exactly like saying Tokyo but it’s written tok jo. So if you find yourself in Hungary one day, you can respond with tok jo (Tokyo) in the most common situations. So Tokyo10 can be translated as “cool fun.”
KZ’s reflections on Tokyo10
Creation
As KZ began mentally preparing for the task ahead, his first evening in Tokyo took on a symbolic tone: during a celebratory dinner, the charred wood used to cook his meal became his first unexpected painting material.
He carefully rearranged his Airbnb—his temporary home for the next ten days—wrapping and protecting the space as he transformed it into a makeshift studio for the daunting task ahead.
To add to the drama, he had to deal with a weird combination of a severe cold and painfully inflamed eyes, adding intensity and determination to the experience.
Nevertheless, thanks to the Balkan spice of his persona, somehow everything slowly fell into place with his struggle.
He discovered painting materials of extraordinary quality, marveling that they felt “straight from heaven,” as if a new world of possibilities had opened before him. Soon he began to feel that the paintings were not something he had to force into existence, but works that were already waiting to emerge. In that improvised studio, surrounded by the energy of Tokyo and the beauty of its materials, the series began to take shape
