Paul & Eva Kolosváry

Paul and Eva Kolosváry were Hungarian-born artists whose lives and work were deeply shaped by survival, resilience, and a shared commitment to creative expression. Born in Hungary—Paul in 1921 in Békéscsaba and Eva in Budapest in 1937—they each endured the traumatic upheavals of 20th-century Europe. Eva was hidden as a child during the Holocaust, while Paul also survived the war before the couple later met and married under Communist rule in post-war Hungary.

In 1956, during the Hungarian Revolution, Paul and Eva made a harrowing escape from Budapest, fleeing on foot across the Austrian border in the dead of night. They navigated through minefields and evaded Soviet patrols to reach Austria, eventually registering as refugees in Vienna with the help of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). When asked to prove her Jewish heritage without formal documents, Eva famously recited the Ma Nishtanah prayer from the Passover Seder—a moment that would become symbolic of her strength and identity.

After a brief stay in Austria, the Kolosvárys moved to Zurich, Switzerland, where they lived for five years before emigrating to the United States in 1961 with their daughter Judy. They settled in California, joining Eva’s extended family, and began establishing themselves in the American art scene. Both artists developed a distinctive style rooted in their lived experiences. Eva focused on assemblage and conceptual printmaking, often drawing inspiration from memory, concealment, and landscape. Her abstract etchings of Joshua Tree’s desert rock formations are among her most celebrated works. Paul, a sculptor and painter, worked closely alongside Eva, and together they produced collaborative public art, installations, and architectural details that reflected their European roots and personal history.

Throughout their careers, Paul and Eva remained deeply involved in their local art community, opening their studio to the public during South Bay Art Walks and showcasing their work in galleries and public spaces. Their joint legacy is represented in collections such as the Newport, Oregon Public Art Collection and remains visible in sculptural works that still stand today. Eva later remarried, becoming known as Eva Kolosváry-Stupler, and continued her artistic practice well into later life. Together, Paul and Eva Kolosváry left behind a powerful legacy—one of survival, creative partnership, and art that speaks to the endurance of the human spirit.