Bath Contemporary

Endré Roder

Endré Roder was born in Budapest in 1933, and his family moved shortly thereafter to Malta, where much of his childhood was spent. Since 1949 he has been resident in England and currently lives in Dorset.

Endre studied architecture and fine art before becoming a museum and art gallery curator. He also taught art and art history in secondary schools, colleges and universities where he gave seminars and master classes.

His work is distinctive and instantly recognisable, a valuable attribute few contemporary painters manage to achieve. Influences from his Hungarian origins and his early life in Malta are clearly visible in his work. His images draw upon his wide knowledge and fundamental understanding of art, a personal use of colour, a sense of decoration, and careful composition. Always figurative, his work can be from observation or imagination and mostly of female figures in wondrous interior or landscape settings. Detailed signatures in Endre's work such as a white horse, or white doves, make his work a collectors delight.

Endre's magic is in his ability to capture the vulnerability, innocence and grace of women, whilst enlivening their characters with an intriguing deep sensuality. His women fascinate, as it appears that they can not quite be grasped. They sit a gentle distance from the onlooker, never quite meeting the eye.

In 1988 Endre became a full time painter, and he draws much inspiration from Balthus and Kirchner, as well as Victorian portrait photography. His work can be found in public and private art collections all over the world.