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Imre Benko
Born in 1943. He lives in Budapest. His main field of interest is the visual interpretation of the real life, is the characteristic documentary description of the man and his environment. Started photographing when he was twenty.
He was a press photographer with the Hungarian News Agency for 18 years, then principal contributor photographer for the „Képes 7” and „Európa” magazines, represented abroad by the Paris-based photo agency Wostok Press.
In 1975 and in 1978 he won gold medals at the World Press Photo.
Scholarships: Grant of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund, Budapest Photography Grant, André Kertész Procreative Grant.
1988-2000 lecturer of documentary photo in Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design.
From 1993 freelance photographer and he is working several long time human life subjects.
Published nine photo essay books: „Steel Town”, „Grey Lights”, „Faces”, „Blues”, „Ways”, ”Twins”, „Horizon”, „Steel-Art” and his monograph: „Benkő Imre Élet-Mű”.
He has had more than seventy solo exhibitions and was featured in hundreds of group shows world-wide.
He is member of the Association of Hungarian Photographic Artists and the Hungarian Academy of Arts.
Many meaningful collection, gallery and private collectors have his works.
Awards: Balázs Béla Prize, Pulitzer Memorial Prize, Excellent Artist of the Hungarian Republic, Hungarian Photography Grand Prix, Prima Primissima-prize.
EXHIBITIONS
My panoramic photo essay is a visual meditation about my wanderings near and far. Photography is a trip, a form of understanding the world.
The photos were taken by the famous Russian Horizont camera.
The composition of the full, uncrossed frame is a great challenge.
