Santa Barbara · Since 1984Waterhouse Gallery
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Represented artist

Bela Bacsi

Selected work

Available paintings

Agean by Bela Bacsi, Bronze Agean Bela Bacsi Aegean front side smaller by Bela Bacsi Bela Bacsi Aegean front side smaller Bela Bacsi Hellenistic Shell Back View by Bela Bacsi Bela Bacsi Hellenistic Shell Back View Bela Bacsi In That Place by Bela Bacsi Bela Bacsi In That Place11x5 Curls by Bela Bacsi, Bronze Curls Endangered Species by Bela Bacsi, Bronze Endangered Species18x12 Endangered Species by Bela Bacsi, Bronze Endangered Species18x12 In That Place by Bela Bacsi, Bronze In That Place11.5 x 4 Medusa by Bela Bacsi, Bronze Medusa24 x 8 Medusa Reverse side by Bela Bacsi, Bronze Medusa Reverse side24 x 8 Octopus by Bela Bacsi, Bronze Octopus Octopus series by Bela Bacsi, Bronze Octopus series Octopus series by Bela Bacsi, Bronze Octopus series Shell of the Gods by Bela Bacsi, Bronze Shell of the Gods19x14

About the artist

Bela’s Biography

4-Time Winner of the Gold Medal for Sculpture, California Art Club

Béla Bácsi's extraordinary marble and bronze sculpture is exhibited coast to coast and is held in significant collections throughout the country. Bácsi is a Professional Sculptor member of the National Sculpture Society, New York City (est. 1893).

Béla Bácsi was born in Győr, Hungary. At age six, he and his family moved to the United States. Continuing the family's long tradition as stone carvers, Bácsi took an interest in carving at an early age. Essentially self-taught, in 1978 Bácsi gained employment at the Studio Ferdinando Palla in Pietrasanta, Italy, where he became an "ornamentista," or fine detail carver.

Returning to the U.S. and settling in Cleveland, Ohio, he then worked as an architectural ornamental master designer at Fischer and Jirouch Architectural Ornamentation and as a bronze foundryman at the nationally acclaimed Studio Foundry. Eventually, Bácsi opened his own sculpture studio and now lives and works in Santa Barbara, California.

In 1999, Bácsi was awarded both the Gold Medal and the Maurice B. Hexter Prize at the National Sculpture Society Members' Exhibition in New York City. In 2001, fellow exhibitors at the CAC 91st Annual Members' Exhibition awarded him the Gold Medal for the Carrara marble masterwork "Driver of the Wheel." He won the California Art Club Gold Medal for Best Sculpture again at the 96th Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition in 2007. Bácsi recently won the 2011 California Art Club Gold Medal for Sculpture — his fourth win of this prestigious award.

Bácsi holds a California Community Colleges teaching certificate for adult education programs and has taught at Santa Barbara City College and offers private classes. In addition, he serves as an adviser to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art Docents' Council.