István Damó

István Damó was born in Sibiu, Romania in 1951. He graduated in 1978 as a graphic artist from The Fine Arts Institute Nicolae Grigoresc” in Bucharest. Between 1978 and 1979, he was a scholarship recipient of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. From 1980 to 1990, he worked as a graphic designer for the Kriterion Publishing House and the Ion Creanga Children's Book Publishing House in Bucharest. Since 1990, he has been living in Hungary. He taught in Kecskemét until his retirement at the local Kálmán Kandó Secondary Technical School at the Béla Kondor Fine and Applied Arts Department. His artistry includes graphic arts and various printmaking processes, complemented by book illustrations for children's books and textbooks. He also works as a painter and creates book designs and art books. In 1979, he had his debut exhibition at the Korunk Gallery in Cluj-Napoca and has been participating in group exhibitions in Romania and Hungary ever since. He has had several solo exhibitions, and his works are included in public and private collections. His awards include the Best Book Cover Award at the Bucharest International Book Fair, the Plaque of the City of Belgrade at the Golden Pencil International Illustration Exhibition, and the Arad Art Museum Award. Additionally, several of his children's book illustrations have won prizes. He is a member of many art organizations, including the Romanian Association of Fine Arts, the Association of Hungarian Artists, the Association of Hungarian Graphic Artists, the Society of Hungarian Painters, and the Society of Hungarian Illustrators.