The Hills Are Not as Close as They Seem

14 May - 7 June 2025

Máté Orr: The Hills Are Not as Close as They Seem
JD Malat Gallery, London, is delighted to announce The Hills Are Not as Close as They Seem, the first solo exhibition in London by emerging international artist Máté Orr (b. 1985, Budapest). Taking place on the lower-ground floor of the gallery from 14^th May to 15^th June 2025, this landmark exhibition presents a powerful new series of works that explore human emotion, psychological resilience, and the surreal absurdities of contemporary life.
Máté Orr in his Studio

Máté Orr

Máté Orr (b. 1985), is an emerging international artist whose distinctive practice merges precise technical execution with psychological exploration. His innovative methodology combines digital design processes with traditional oil painting techniques, creating works that explore human behaviour through a unique combination of human and animal forms, resulting in dreamlike scenes that explore the complex terrain of human psychology in the 21st century.

His compositions demonstrate his engagement with art historical traditions using sources from surrealist masters like Dalí and Bosch in his family library. His work demonstrates engagement with diverse art historical references, including Magritte's surrealism, Hockney's stage-like compositions, and Kiki Smith's magical world. During his studies, his intensive anatomical study, including experiences observing medical procedures support his exploration of the human condition. These influences combine with European folkloric traditions and explore complex human emotions, where playfulness and anxiety coexist in careful balance.
Máté Orr, We Like It Here, 2024, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 43 1/4 x 31 1/2 in, 110 x 80 cm

Orr's Methodology

Orr's educational journey began with graphic design and printmaking before graduating in fine art painting from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Budapest. A pivotal moment in his artistic development came when he encountered the Lorenzetti frescoes in Siena, which revealed to him the powerful potential of combining different modes of depiction to create mystical imagery.

Orr’s distinctive practice merges digital precision with traditional oil painting, resulting in dreamlike compositions where human and animal forms inhabit complex, psychologically charged landscapes. Through intricate scenes of quiet confrontation and poetic unease, Orr invites viewers into a world where adversity becomes adventure and vulnerability is met with calm introspection.
Máté Orr, Three Headed Swan, 2024, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 31 1/2 x 39 3/8 in, 80 x 100 cm

Psychological Curiosity

Raised in rural Hungary in the 1990s, Orr’s personal experience of a culture where psychological vulnerability was rarely acknowledged has greatly influenced his work. His art seeks to unpack the logic of emotions, drawing from both introspection and a curiosity about others. Each painting becomes a subtle yet monumental proxy for examining our inner lives.
Máté Orr, The Hills Are Not as Close as They Seem, 2024, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 59 x 47 1/4 in, 150 x 120 cm

The Hills Are Not as Close as They Seem

The title piece, The Hills Are Not as Close as They Seem, along with works like What If We Get Lost?, exemplifies Orr’s thematic focus: figures that are visually out of place, yet composed, reflecting the artist’s interest in how we perceive and process threat, fear, and unfamiliar terrain. These characters face surreal challenges not with panic, but with poise, suggesting a deeper narrative of emotional resilience.
Máté Orr, Morzsi And Folti, 2024, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 31 1/2 x 39 3/8 in, 80 x 100 cm

A Hungarian Contemporary

Orr’s process begins digitally, with silhouette-like ‘notan’ compositions crafted using technological tools. These are transformed through the artist’s masterful use of oil paint, chiaroscuro, and airbrushed surfaces, creating a softness that merges realism with the surreal. His subdued, evocative palette oscillates between intimacy and distance, memory and immediacy.

His art historical influences are wide-ranging, drawing from the surrealism of Dalí and Magritte, the theatricality of Hockney, and the mysticism of Kiki Smith. Layered with references to European folklore and informed by extensive anatomical study, Orr’s compositions exist in a space where anxiety, absurdity, and wonder intersect.
Máté Orr, What If We Get Lost, 2024, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 31 1/2 x 23 5/8 in, 80 x 60 cm

A Surreal Experience

With The Hills Are Not as Close as They Seem, JD Malat Gallery offers collectors and audiences the rare opportunity to encounter an artist whose vision is as technically refined as it is psychologically profound. This exhibition not only marks Orr’s solo debut in Mayfair but solidifies his place as one of the most compelling narrative painters of his generation.