Pallos Schönauer Jutta – Jubilee Exhibition

The Cluj-Napoca Art Museum, a public cultural institution under the authority of the Cluj County Council, invites you to visit, between September 10–28, 2025, the Jubilee Exhibition dedicated to the artist Pallos Schönauer Jutta.

The defining theme of Pallos-Schönauer Jutta’s artistic career was Transylvania. Her works reflect the world of landscapes, the beauty of traditional architecture, as well as the struggles and destinies of the local people. She was born on January 12, 1925, in Reghin, the daughter of Schönauer Norbert and Irina (née Mischinger). From an early age, she recognized her artistic vocation and drew with passion. After her school years, the war, and displacement, between 1948 and 1954 she studied at the “Ion Andreescu” Academy of Fine Arts in Cluj, under the guidance of Miklóssy Gábor and Nagy Imre. Following her graduation, she taught at the Cluj School of Folk Art until 1956, after which she chose the path of a freelance artist, gaining recognition as both a painter and a graphic artist. As a member of the Union of Fine Artists, she participated in numerous exhibitions and soon became a significant figure in the artistic life of her time. In 1986, she found a new home in Germany, yet the deeper layers of her art continued to be inspired and nourished by Transylvania.

Throughout her rich career, Pallos-Schönauer Jutta employed a wide range of techniques. In addition to oil painting on canvas, she created watercolors, ink drawings, colored pastels, and works in mixed media. Her oeuvre includes both figurative compositions and landscapes, with particularly outstanding city views enriched with architectural details (Cluj, Sighișoara, Sibiu). By capturing the landscapes and atmosphere of Transylvania, the artist explored her own roots and the stories of its inhabitants, revealing the interconnections between history and individual destinies. Her works raise the questions of identity and belonging with both respect and determination. While remaining faithful to realism, her style achieved a personal synthesis between content and artistic expression. Her work was highly esteemed both locally and abroad, with 47 solo exhibitions and more than 230 group exhibitions held in Germany, Hungary, Austria, Sweden, Italy, Canada, the United States, and, of course, Romania. The artist passed away in December 2020, at the age of 95.

The opening of the exhibition will take place on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 5:00 PM, in the presence of Lucian Nastasă-Kovács, manager of the Cluj-Napoca Art Museum, and the exhibition’s curators, Kis-Pállukács Hajnal and Christine Pallos.