Welcome to the Art of Natalie Forrester
Natalie Forrester is an Irish artist living in rural Hungary with her husband, László, and their son, Wolfe. A graduate of the National College of Art & Design in Dublin (2006), she is passionate about exploring the connection between colour, emotion, and literature.
“If you’ve heard that I’m dedicating the next 20 years of my life to a Ulysses art project—you heard right. I am creating one original artwork for each page of James Joyce’s Ulysses (using the 933-page Penguin edition). As a colour fanatic, I find inspiration in the hues scattered throughout the text, translating Joyce’s words into vibrant, immersive pieces.”
Explore the journey. Dive into The Colours of Ulysses. 🎨📖
Baz Ashmawy RTÉ One Best Place to Be
Irish radio and television personality, Baz Ashmawy, came to visit us here in Nyíregyháza, Sóstóhegy, as part of his new series, Best Place to Be, for which he travels across Europe meeting Irish people who have uprooted the lives they had in Ireland to make a home elsewhere. Together with my husband László Orosz, we showed him the sights, talked about life here in rural Hungary and created an abstract art triptych he named #callsheet
Watch it here on RTÉ Player: https://www.rte.ie/player/series/best-place-to-be/10001618-00-0000?epguid=IP10001619-01-0005
If you are outside of Ireland, you can watch it here
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Have you seen my latest article in The Irish Times?
“Please be under 20kg!” I silently chant to the Ryanair check-in screen at Dublin Airport.
I’m momentarily distracted by Mum theatrically stuffing my son’s backpack with treats. I know my protests will fall on deaf ears as I roll my eyes at Dad. He’s sensibly silent while grinning fondly at his grandson.
Hiding my smirk, I turn to face the screen of possible doom … 19.8kg. Phew! I don’t have to take any precious paint out.
A 20-year project on Ulysses, why?
Did you know that one of the main characters of Ulysses is half Irish, half Hungarian?
Just like my son, Wolfe. Yes! I’m Irish, born in Dublin, and my husband (and Wolfie’s Dad), László, is Hungarian. We met in Dublin and we now live in the leafy village of Sóstóhegy, north of the city, Nyíregyháza, in north-eastern Hungary.
I started reading Ulysses in 2022, but I didn’t expect to get far! Don’t get me wrong, I love books, but, as you probably know, Ulysses has a reputation for being notoriously hard to read.
After 3 pages I stopped reading…
I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to stop and find a pen, pencil, any mark-making object to underline the colours that were popping off the page at me. The more I read, the more colours kept bouncing up towards me. Like they had something to say. A story of their own to be told. A colour story. The Colours of Ulysses Series was born.
Read more here
Bloomsday 2024 Solo Exhibition
My second local, solo exhibition was held at the Palinka Haz, Nyíregyháza-Sóstó, just a ten minute cycle from my house. It was a great success with a special thanks to Doba István for saying a few words on the night and, of course, my husband, Orosz László, for hanging the exhibition.
