Summary

Part one of a three part oral history with Hungarian born artist Klára Donáth-Patay, recorded on 08 April 1999. Klára studied art and painting at university in Hungary, before she was expelled for her political views. She then trained and worked as a costume designer for the many theatres in Budapest. After escaping Hungary in 1956 and immigrating to Australia, Klára worked in a variety of jobs to support her family.

In Australia Klára has continued to create work in her chosen medium of textile art. Much of Klára's work draws upon her Hungarian cultural origins and Bartok's music is a constant source of inspiration for her.

Description of Content

Part one of a three part oral history with Klara Donath-Patay, a Hungarian born artist. On this tape Klara discusses: her life growing up in Budapest, Hungary, her father's work and practice as a sculptor, her experiences during World War II, her life in Budapest after World War II finishing school and attending University where she studied art, with a focus on painting, and then to be an art teacher. Although she trained to be an art teacher Klara still continued to practice as an artist often painting and drawing at home, which her father and mother supported, she became interested in fibre art after a two week exchange to a University in Poland where she attended a fibre workshop. Klara also talks about her expulsion from University half-way through her final year under the communist regime, due to her and her family's political views and status as an upper middle class liberal Hungarian family. After her expulsion she then worked in an office before training privately to be a costume designer, with her teacher helping her find work when she finished her studies.

Physical Description

Digital audio tape

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