Budapest’s Virág Judit Gallery and Auction House rolls out a packed 2026 program of exhibitions and auctions spotlighting standout pieces from classical and contemporary Hungarian painting alongside sought-after Zsolnay ceramics. Bidders can join in person, by phone, via absentee bids, or through the gallery’s own online platform, designed for real-time remote participation from anywhere.
The gallery sits in central Budapest at 1055, Falk Miksa St. 30, in the 5th District’s Inner City–Leopold Town (Belváros-Lipótváros). Visitor information, inquiry contacts, and video content are available, with the space regularly pairing art events with tips on timing, nearby stays, and where to eat and drink.
DeForma Group Takes Over the Gallery
A major highlight runs from May 28 to June 27: the DeForma Group’s exhibition of modern Hungarian luxury ceramics, a curated showcase and sale of rare, hand-painted porcelain works. These pieces blur the line between art object and high-end interior design, channeling the essence of contemporary Hungarian craftsmanship while inviting collectors to live with museum-level design.
The show marks a rare cultural milestone: a creative collective that has collaborated, exhibited, and evolved together for 33 straight years. This presentation draws from more than three decades of work, tracing a living lineage of form, decoration, and use that challenges and refines what functional porcelain can be.
Postmodern Roots, Art Deco Spirit
DeForma formed in 1993, uniting seasoned designer-artisans—ceramic and applied artists—dedicated to reinventing the forms of porcelain objects. Their name nods to their mission: DeForma, De forma! “for the sake of form,” a title coined by founding member Sándor Dobány. Internationally recognized as a Hungarian standard-bearer of postmodern design, the collective creates luxurious, ornate, eloquent functional sets and fantasy vessels, working in porcelain—the noblest clay medium—with uncompromising rigor and mutually supportive independence.
As art historian and Zsolnay expert Éva Csenkey frames it, just as finely crafted vintage coffee and tea services summon eras, people, habits, and feelings through workmanship and ornament, today’s best pieces capture the zeitgeist and convey personality. In that spirit, DeForma channels a pre-functionalist, early Art Deco sensibility—traditional in standards of quality and craft, radically free in form and decoration.
Founding exhibitors: Pálma Babos, Mónika Bedécs, Olga Benedek, Sándor Dobány, Éva Kádasi, Judit Turcsányi, Judit Vida.
Dates: May 28–June 27, 2026. Location: Budapest, Falk Miksa St. 30.
