"Embrace" Artist Proof by Eva Kolosvary-Stupler

Rendered in sculptural forms and subdued earth tones, Embrace by Eva Kolosvary-Stupler captures two abstracted figures entwined in a gentle, primal gesture of closeness. Their rounded forms and intersecting curves evoke a sense of tenderness and unity, while the circular outlines of the heads leaning toward one another suggest emotional reciprocity. Surrounding the pair, a constellation of fine stippling adds both texture and movement, forming a nebulous aura that speaks to the ephemeral, almost cosmic nature of the moment—an embrace suspended in time.

This Artist Proof, dated 1977, offers a rare and intimate glimpse into Kolosvary-Stupler’s process, created before the final edition of the work was completed. The textural play between line, shadow, and form reveals influences from modernist sculpture—echoes of Henry Moore or Barbara Hepworth—yet remains firmly rooted in Kolosvary-Stupler’s graphic vocabulary, developed over decades of personal and technical evolution.

About the Artist
Born Éva Stein in Budapest in 1937, Eva Kolosvary-Stupler survived World War II in hiding with her mother and sister while her father was taken to labor service. After graduating from the Budapest High School of Fine and Applied Arts in 1955, she fled Hungary following the 1956 revolution, emigrating to Switzerland with her husband, the graphic artist Pál Kolozsváry. The couple later settled in California, where Kolosvary-Stupler pursued her studies at El Camino Junior College and then at California State University, Long Beach, earning an MFA in 1980.

She began her creative journey in the 1960s with ceramics, achieving international recognition before turning her attention more fully to graphic arts and assemblage. Throughout the 1970s and '80s, she mastered intaglio engraving and became a prominent figure in the Los Angeles printmaking scene, serving as president of the Los Angeles Printmaking Society in 1980. Her work—marked by emotional sensitivity and formal restraint—has been exhibited in over 100 group shows across the United States, with pieces held in major museum collections, including the Smithsonian Institution.

Historical Context
Created during a period when artists were navigating between abstraction and figuration, Embrace reflects Kolosvary-Stupler’s interest in exploring the human form through a minimalist, emotionally resonant lens. The late 1970s witnessed a resurgence of interest in essential forms and gestures, especially those that could express profound themes such as intimacy, vulnerability, and memory with visual economy. Kolosvary-Stupler’s ability to capture such complexity through reduced, organic shapes places her in quiet dialogue with both modernist and post-war artistic traditions.

Collector’s Note
As an Artist Proof, Embrace holds a special status, offering collectors a unique and unrepeatable version of the work that often reflects the artist’s unfiltered vision. With its balance of visual softness and emotional depth, this piece stands as a testament to Kolosvary-Stupler’s thoughtful exploration of the human experience.

REFERENCE NUMBER: LU654316261262
PERIOD: 1970-1979
CONDITION: Good
MEASUREMENTS: Height: 15.25" Width: 14.25" Depth: 1"
COUNT: 1
MATERIAL: Lithograph
CREATOR: Eva Kolosvary-Stupler