Szilveszter Makó: The Hungarian Photographer With a Cinematic Touch
zita kisgergely
Learn more about the Hungarian-born photographer and Art Director A-listers like Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Bad Bunny and Elle Fanning are lining up to be photographed by.
A face peeking out from an intricate cardboard house. Pairs of little red boots adorning the legs of a table. A human-sized fish. These might sound like things you’d find inside a Lewis Carroll story; they’re actually part of visionary photographer Szilveszter Makó’s creative repertoire.
Szilveszter Makó and his distinctive style have taken the fashion and celebrity-photography scene by storm. The environment he creates for his photo shoots seem less to do with providing a backdrop for his subjects and more about providing a surreal, cinematic experience. Clearly heavily influenced by Makó’s upbringing, and with roots deeply set in Hungarian culture, this world feels old-fashioned yet other-worldly. It’s Kafkaesque in tone yet visually reminiscent of Dali.
Szilveszter Makó. Picture via Facebook.
From Lillafüred to the World Stage
Born in Miskolc in northeast Hungary, Makó was raised in the town of Lillafüred, best-known for its proximity to the enchanting forests of the Bükk Mountains and its picture-book palace hotel. Having experimented with various artistic forms like painting, Makó eventually pursued photography, first studying at MOME in Budapest before completing his studies in Florence. He’s now based in Milan from where he has built his international career.
In various interviews, Makó has spoken of how being raised by his grandparents in rural Hungary in a strict household influenced his work. The distinctive visual language he uses to evoke fairytale-like images–with an edge–has been forged from Makó’s childhood and his Hungarian cultural background.
Hungarian literature has also been an inspiration. Makó has cited János Arany's nineteenth-century ballad “Ágnes asszony” as a particular influence; a dark story about a woman whose lover murders her husband in his sleep and her compulsive washing of the bloodied bedsheets. It again highlights Mako’s fascination with ritual and everyday objects that are heavy with dramatic subtext and intent
Constructing a Unique World
Rather than relying on digital tools, Makó uses cardboard, textiles, wood and recycled materials to construct his sets and props by hand. Eschewing digital tools, he noted in his interview with Claire Marie Healy two years ago that the technique he uses to process his photos are done by very few people today, simply because it’s incredibly time-consuming.
Makó endeavours to keep everything as natural as possible–even his light sources. This, together with his merging of photography, theatre and painting, is what makes his work in the fashion and celebrity space stand out. There’s a cinematic quality that invites the viewer to imagine the story behind the photo.
The Bauhaus Ballet: An Exhibition
Looking at the photographs, the audience is tempted to more fully experience the world they evoke. That was made possible this September during New York Fashion Week, where Makó designed a solo exhibition of his work.
This wasn’t just a display of photographs, but an immersive recreation of his sets across six rooms that allowed visitors to physically enter the space within the frames. To heighten the experience, traditional Hungarian folk pieces were lent from the Sárköz region in Hungary and the Kalotaszeg region in Transylvania.
Makó’s artistry lies in the blur between reality and fiction. Familiar household objects are skewed in scale and perspectives are challenged. A seemingly wholesome scene takes on new meaning, suggesting there’s a larger story just outside the frame.
We can’t wait to see what Makó gets up to next. It seems inevitable that his vision will somehow eventually spill into the world of film. Let’s hope so.
Sources & further information
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