Biography - Conceived in Italy, born in Milwaukee and raised around the globe is the way to brew another Varga, if you ever care to try. Abandoned at the age of six by my ne'er-do-well father, I was raised by my loving mother and a slew of Hungarian relatives from her side of the family. Most of my childhood was spent reading and drawing, and each summer from the age of six to sixteen my brother and I would travel to Hungary to stay with our grandmother. Grandma had a fondness for train travel, rich food and snapshots. Prepubescent exposure to museums, opera and compulsory embroidery lessons laid the groundwork for my foray into the wild world of art. High school and college blurred by unexcitingly with no indication from my subconscious that I would ever intend or care to pursue a career in the arts. As a result, my art is all my own. I know very little about art theory and I have never studied technique. I thank my solo plunge into New York City and a harrowing first two years of city life for my forced birth as an artist. Need for expression will find its medium and in 1997, three years after I moved to New York, I threw myself into painting with a fervor fueled by the derision of an art store sales clerk. Oil paints were my preference and I had my first exhibition of oil works on canvas in February of 1998 at a club called NV in the SoHo district of New York. Later that year MTV commissioned two paintings of extra-terrestrial life for the 1998 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles. The paintings were a smash and went on display in MTV's Times Square gallery in New York City after the awards. Several commissions came next including a full ceiling and wall mural throughout the vault of Chaos, a popular Manhattan club. The Tribeca restaurant Asia Roma commissioned four murals as part of a new look for the grand re-opening. In February of 1999 I obtained a solo show at the Jonathan Marx Gallery on West Broadway in SoHo. In November of the same year I had another solo show at the Reza Namazi Gallery also on West Broadway. From there I exhibited in a group show at Madison Square Garden called the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival and in another group show focusing on New York based women artists called Estrogenius at the Manhattan Theatre Source just off Washington Square Park. The curators used one of my pieces for the cover of the EstrogeniusThe number of people attending these exhibitions caused me to reflect on how artwork affects its audience. Until this point my work had been a process of learning by doing and mostly entertaining myself. My voice as an artist had not developed. I did find my own technique and style, but was lacking inspiration. It was around that time that I found three doors thrown out on the street near my studio. These doors generated the idea of painting three figures – those figures became Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed (pbuh). From September of 1999 to March 31st, 2002 this triptych became my full-time occupation. I had discovered what to create: art that speaks to people of all backgrounds through images reflecting world cultures. The world events from conception to birth of this triptych make it clear that on a global level we do not understand each other. Understanding people demands exposure to their cultures and beliefs. Religion is culture. It is taught and filtered through the people in our environment. Spirituality is universal. I have always had a keen interest in spiritual quests and my mother's interest in the same provided an incredible collection of books on all aspects of religion and spirituality - everything from a beautifully illustrated Bhadhavad Gita to The Living Torah. I studied books on the Kabala, read the Tao Te Ching, and even came to understand philosopher-speak. Curiosity gave me a peek of what the world was thinking for the past few thousand years. Hindsight being 20-20, I see how my life has guided me toward creating this triptych of Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed - peace be upon them and thank the stars for their influence on our planet. I was never forced to study world religion, nor do I subscribe to any religion in particular. Simply put, I want to know why things are the way they are, how people relate to each other, and the differences between us. As I came to understand what organized religion means to people I realized it is the root of many of our problems, historically and today. More bloodshed, murder and mayhem have been wreaked in the name of God than in the name of any other cause – ever. And not one religion holds the throne for holiest. There is one thing that is quite clear. No cause is so great it warrants killing another in the name of God. Discussion, yes. Books, yes. Philosophy - why not. But to pick up a weapon and strike your fellow man because he sees blue where you see green is not the right thing to do. Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed are depicted together in this work because they are at the epicenter of conflict in the world and represent five of the main world religions: Buddha was a Hindu prince whose teachings are collected under Buddhism, Jesus was a Jew whose teachings and revelations are the foundation of Christianity, the Koran was revealed to Mohammed and Islam was born in the Middle East. From their very beginnings, varied interpretations and schools of thought springing from the words of these three men have bred war, torture and destruction. Yet if we could collect them into one room not a single drop of blood would be shed. Their messages are not different enough to warrant this fighting. My hope is that this work will prompt you to smile at others more. I'm glad you're seeing it and hope you will share it with others. In this age of instant information the best we can do is to learn from the past, share what we know and focus on a peaceful future between people of all cultures and faiths... and maybe groove a little on some indigenous foods. At least that's what my grandmother would tell you. God bless and pass it on.