ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES - PAUL HARGITTAI

Paul Hargittai is an internationally acknowledged textile designer and painter currently living in Paris. Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1923, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts. He became a graphic artist and textile designer, and also designed jewelry. He began working in Rome in 1948, where he organized an exhibition in the Circolo Artistico Internationale. Between 1948 and 1951 his work was on display permanently in Rome where he won several awards.

Anxious to discover the art world of New York City, he moved in 1951 and became involved in various fields, one of which was illustrating for T.S. Elliot's' books of poetry. Finally, settling on the lucrative trade of textile design, he opened the first independent textile design studio in New York in 1955. He was also teaching design at Columbia University. Hargittai liked New York very much, yet moved to Paris in 1993. His studio is in the heart of Paris where he gains much inspiration for his beautiful creations. He lives happily with his wife of many years.